Ascension
by RayneAurelie
Summary: He was ethereal, with his cursed glowing red eyes. She couldn't help but stare, praying that they wouldn't consume her very being in eternal darkness. She was his addiction, stubborn and resilient, an engulfing enigma of spring and rebirth. A forbidden light. SasuSaku. M for Mature Themes. AU.
1. The Red of Fate

Hi There!

This is my second SasuSaku fanfiction that I am writing! I recently finished my first one, Under the Rising Spring. It is complete, so if you are itching to read my little headcanon on the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura during the blank period, feel free to check it out and review it for me! (Sorry about the shameless plug, lol)

As you may know, I originally had two chapters of Ascension completed, but after writing down the plot and major events that I want to cover throughout this entire story, I found that the first two chapters already had major inconsistencies in order to make the story I want to write work, and that I needed to re-work some things. So, Ascension is being restarted anew, however many of the same elements that I was originally planning to implement are still very much going to be in the story. While writing Under the Rising Spring, I felt that it definitely could have been better organized, so I want to make sure I do that with Ascension, especially since this will be set in an AU. I plan on this story to be around 20 chapters long.

I want to thank everyone who is taking the time to read this, and I really hope that I can create a story that you guys will love. I love to write in my free time and escape to other worlds! Doing this also really helps with my creative writing, which I feel I can always improve upon.

I really hope that you guys will leave me reviews of what you think, and constructive criticism.

* * *

 **Chapter I** : The Red of Fate

* * *

 _Red is the color of death,_

 _but also the color of fate,_

 _surrender to me_

 _succumb to death_

* * *

"A marriage, with my daughter?"

Sasuke watched, his calloused right hand resting casually, yet alert on his sword Kusanagi that was tied to his waist as he watched his King, Madara negotiate with the Haruno clan head.

"Yes. A show of political alliance." Madara confirmed. Madara had jet black hair, long and unruly, and wore an elaborate red armor that included arm guards, and a chest plate, with armored plates that extended down the front, sides and back down to his knees. His face was serious, almost ruthless, his charcoal eyes cold and menacing.

"You think that by marriage, it will automatically gain the loyalty of our people?" Kizashi challenged, as if the thought of it was ridiculous. Sasuke watched as the Haruno clan head held his hands in fists, a displeased frown on his face, his eyebrows furrowed as he stood in challenge to the Uchiha. The man was odd, with dull pink hair, wearing white clothes that were covered by a bright red set of armor, though his was much less elaborate than the Uchiha king, his consisting of a red chest place, with red arm guards and red shin guards.

"If you are to be guaranteed that the wrath of the Uchiha do not wipe out your very existence, yes." Madara sneered. "I don't see how you have any options of refusal."

Kizashi gritted his teeth. "No, I suppose not. I guess I should not have been so naive to think that the Uchiha would not invade the free clans and force us under your rule." Kizashi concluded bitterly.

"You all have been left unchecked for too long. What good are you, if you are not under the control of a powerful clan that can guide you? Offer you the way to live your lives?" Madara countered. Sasuke watched as this only irritated the pink haired man even more, yet he knew that he had to of been feeling helpless in his predicament.

"No harm is to come to my daughter?" Kizashi bartered, though his tone held skepticism, and if Madara noticed it, he had chosen to ignore it.

"So long as she obeys our wishes." Madara sneered.

Kizashi had nothing further to say as he turned his heel to leave, not giving the king any bow of respect. In irritation, Sasuke grabbed his sword at the thought of someone disrespecting his king in such a way, though Madara motioned for him to stop as they watched his retreating form.

"Watch your anger, Sasuke." Madara began. "His insolence won't matter by tomorrow morning anyway."

Sasuke frowned. What did he mean by that? However, Sasuke dared not bother to ask. He didn't need to. All he cared about was doing what Madara instructed him to do.

* * *

"Sakura." Kizashi called as he entered their home. Though the head of their clan, the Haruno's were modest people. They didn't live in fancy houses, or have much for riches as they were a clan who lived off the land and of their own free will. Their house was quaint, small in a sense, but a beautiful home. The place where Sakura had lived her whole of eighteen years.

"Father, I've been worried!" Sakura ran to her father, embracing him in a hug. She had been worried about him ever since the Uchiha had demanded he meet with the clan head. It had happened so suddenly. They had invaded their territory in the night, scaring their people into thinking that they were here to take their land and lives.

"Sakura, we need to talk. Come, and sit down." Kizashi said, as he gave an uncomfortable sigh. Sakura knew this expression from anywhere. Her father often did it when he was frustrated with something, or didn't know what to do or how to approach something. His face was sad, and Sakura knew that something was wrong. However, she did as her father asked, sitting beside them in their living room. The room was dimly lit, a small table in the middle of it. There was a cabinet that held books and other trinkets on one wall, and a large window behind them that the endless night could be seen through.

"They want you to agree to a political marriage." Kizashi began, causing his daughter to gasp in surprise, and somewhat in relief too. Her first worry was that the Uchiha had come to end their lives, and the fear of it had settled deep into the pit of her stomach.

"M-marriage? Why?" Sakura asked, a little puzzled. What would a marriage to her offer them? Would something like that really protect her people?

"I… don't know. Something doesn't feel right about it. The circumstances seem odd. I don't like the idea of it." Kizashi admitted.

"But if we don't comply with their wishes, then what?" Sakura questioned, worried that she already knew the answer to her question.

"It will end all of our lives. They won't let a single soul live. No woman... or child." Kizashi growled. "I should have protected our people better! We should have-"

"No." Sakura interrupted, her voice wavering, but firm. "If that's what they want, then I will do it to protect my people."

"I don't know how I could ask this of you, my daughter." Kizashi sighed, his body language conveyed defeat. Sakura could feel the sorrow in his voice, the helplessness her father was feeling, the failure he probably felt he was.

"You don't have to. To be honest, I was afraid that you would never come back. I was afraid that if they killed you, I would be able to do nothing for our people. Father I -" Sakura could feel the tears that stung at her eyes that threatened to fall. Her emotions were an uncertain wreck as she felt the relief of her father coming home, and the dreaded fear of what was to come. In an instant, their way of life had been threatened.

"You are my daughter, Sakura. You will always find a way to protect the people that you love." Kizashi encouraged, trying to console his daughter. "You are so much like your mother. So much stronger and braver than you ever will know."

Sakura embraced her father in a tight hug, feeling the warmth of his familiar arms wrapped around her in his fatherly embrace. However, the sound of a large explosion immediately separated them from their embrace as their small home shook with the vibration.

In a panic, Sakura raced to the window only to be met with a scene of horror.

Without thinking, and ignoring the panicked call from her father, she hastily ripped open their wooden front door, sprinting outside. People were screaming everywhere. What was going on? How could they? How could the Uchiha attack them like this?! Had the talks of political marriage been a ploy to keep them unaware of their true intentions?

She raced towards the main village, willing her feet to carry her faster than they were, as the fires that engulfed the buildings became wild and large, angrily burning everything they touched, the sound of wood crackling in the heat, and the screams of the night only getting louder.

Tears began to stream down her face as her chest tightened up in an unbearable knot and the urge to hurl the contents of her stomach almost became too great. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed.

It was too late though.

The stench of death and spilled blood polluted the air as Sakura's eyes were met with the sight of dead bodies piled on the streets of the town, the pathways stained red. The walls painted in their blood.

"Sakura, Sak-" Sakura immediately ran over to a man on the floor, clutching his chest as his clothes became soaked in his blood.

"Who did this to you? What-" Sakura begged as she quickly moved to heal him. The gift she had been given. Her palms began to glow green. If he was alive she would save him.

"No don't Sakura don't let them see-"

Sakura wanted to sob. What did he mean?

Suddenly, two women came running across the road in front of her, screaming, as a sword impaled them from behind, their bodies lifeless and spilling blood as they fell to the ground with a loud thud right before her eyes.

Sakura was petrified. The man she had been trying to help was gone too. She couldn't save him.

In front of her however, stood a younger looking man dressed fully in black. He had dark hair, fashioned in messy spikes, but most prominent of all was the red glowing eyes that were eerily beautiful. He was god-like and like no one Sakura had ever seen before in his life. He didn't look like he belonged in this world.

She had never been more terrified in her life.

The man had spotted her, turning his attention towards her, his sword firmly gripped in his right hand, drenched in the blood of the villagers he had slaughtered. He began to walk towards her, as if in no hurry, as if he could kill her in the blink of an instant if he so chose too.

Sakura willed her feet to move, but her body wouldn't respond. She felt like screaming, but nothing came out as the black dressed figure approached her, his red eyes fixated on her, his face cold and unforgiving.

"Sasuke, enough!" A voice called, causing the figure to stop momentarily as his head turned towards the direction of the speaker. Sakura's attention became fixated on the man who had commanded the killer in front of her to stop. The man looked eerily similar with his long black hair and haunting red eyes.

"I've seen what I need to. Take her prisoner." The voice commanded. "Everyone else is dead."

Sakura's eyes widened in fear as she willed her body to move, to run away, to resist, to scream and fight, but instead, she felt a sharp pain in her neck as her world went black.

* * *

Death.

Sasuke had always been a harbinger of death. His life revolved around it. Death was one of the few things that he was very familiar with.

He locked away any emotions he had, indifferent as he struck down one person after another, their screams filling his ears and their blood staining his clothes and the ground he walked on.

He spotted two women, who were trembling, taking off once he saw them and began to make his way to end their lives as well. He watched, almost in amusement as they screamed, trying to run away from him as if they could escape death.

He cut them down easily, mercilessly as their last screams filled the air as their bodies fell the the bloodstained earth with an audible thud.

That's when he saw it. The flash of pink.

He turned to see a woman, her face dirty, her pink hair disheveled yet exotically beautiful. He had never seen anything like it. He was almost drawn to it. She wore a red tunic that was form fitting with black shorts underneath, with shin length black boots.

She looked up at him and for a moment he was stunned.

The fierce green eyes that looked at him in hate and fear. Her face that was feminine and gentle however, despite the wrath of her expression. A goddess in this world ruled by hate. For a moment, he hesitated, taking his time as he walked towards the frightened woman.

"Sasuke, stop!" The voice of his King ringed through the silence. He looked over to Madara, who was walking up to them from behind. He did as he was told.

"I've seen what I need to. Take her prisoner." He commanded. "Everyone else is dead."

Why would Madara keep this woman alive? This otherworldly being with pink hair and green eyes?

He could see her hate towards his King. He could see her fear. Sasuke did as he was commanded without a second thought, knocking the woman out.

"What is it you want her alive for?" Sasuke inquired as she fell to the ground, unconscious with a loud thud.

"I watched her try to heal an old man." Madara replied. For a brief moment, a look of surprise crossed Sasuke's features before he regained his stoic composure. Healing? He thought that ability had died out in the Haruno clan.

"Hn." Sasuke flicked his sword, Kusanagi, splattering the blood on it's blade on the ground to clean it before sheathing it.

"Take her back to camp. Make sure she is restrained." Madara instructed to the other Uchiha men that were with him.

"You did well, Sasuke." Madara praised as the pink haired woman was being carried away by the other men who had accompanied Madara.

"Well, as you said, they were unsuspecting. Though I can't say it was exactly a clean move." Sasuke advised.

Madara laughed, amused. "To think _you_ would worry about such a thing, Sasuke. You are young, but a good general. But don't forget that we do what we need to in order to gain power. No matter what strategy."

Sasuke watched as his King began to walk after the men that were carrying their prisoner, following soon after him. For the first time in a long time, something about this didn't feel right.

* * *

When Sakura awoke, it was dark, and she was laying on something cold and hard. It was quiet, eerily quiet, and her head hurt. Her whole body ached.

Suddenly everything came rushing back. The red eyes, the black, the death…

Almost in a panic she stood up, running to the bars in front of her, realizing that she was in a prison cell. Her eyes were still adjusting, but there was a dim light and a figure that sat calmly, still, and almost ethereal beside it.

"There's no escape." came a low, masculine and haunting voice that sent a shiver down Sakura's spine as the dark figure stood from its seated position.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Sakura demanded, though her voice was fearful. Her eyes now adjusted to the darker lighting revealed him however.

The man she had seen before. Fear immediately overtook Sakura's body as she began to tremble at the familiarity, however he looked different. His eyes were not red, instead they were a charcoal black and looked as if they could consume her very being. Sakura stumbled backwards, her instincts tell her to get as far away from this man as possible.

"Quiet." He snapped, his voice almost a growl. "I should have ended your life when I had the chance." he mocked. Sakura gritted her teeth, her back against the furthest wall.

"Then why didn't you?!" She spat in return. "I would be better off dead than in this hell!"

She knew that she had angered him by his low growl as he threw the cell gate open, storming towards her, his eyes once again red, and ruthless. No matter how terrified Sakura was, she couldn't help but stare directly into them. She tried to push herself further back into the wall as if she could sink into it and disappear, the cold stone stinging her skin.

"Don't think I won't, the moment Madara deems you expendable." He spat venomously. He was so close, his breath fanning on Sakura's face, causing a chill to run down her spine and the hair at the nape of her neck to stand on edge. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest and hear it thundering in her ears. The tension was undeniable between them as her viridian eyes met his red ones in defiance.

Snapping his eyes away from her however, he shoved her from the wall, drawing his sword in a split second, pointing it at her neck. He could easily strike and kill.

"Madara instructed me to take you to him." He began. Sakura gulped, immediately feeling her body heat up from the anxiety. "Don't think that I won't hesitate to kill you the moment you try anything." He threatened. Sakura's eyes were transfixed on the edge of his blade that was at her neck before looking back at the god-like man in front of her, the red glow of his eyes making him appear more demon-like in the darkness.

She didn't say anything as Sasuke motioned for her to start walking out of the cell with him following closely in tow, his sword was effortlessly sheathed as he trailed behind her, watching her like a hawk. Roughly, he grabbed her left arm with his right hand, leading her out of the prison area and up a long flight of stone stairs that were dimly lit. His hands were calloused and rough against her skin, no doubt from his swordsmanship.

They reached what Sakura assumed was the main floor of the castle, and it was barren and dark, as if it were made to fit the darkness of the Uchiha. Simple, but red tapestries adorned the walls, proudly displaying the uchiwa fan, the clan symbol of the Uchiha. The hallway she was being led through had many windows however, the moonlight shining brightly through it. The hallway felt as cold as the prison cell had.

It wasn't long before Sasuke opened a large door, shoving Sakura into the room causing the woman to stumble a little as she shakily raised her head to see Madara sitting leisurely on a throne chair, his legs crossed and an amused egotistical expression on his face.

"Do you know why you are alive?" Madara asked darkly, as Sakura regained her composure.

"N-no." Sakura answered, trembling.

"I noticed that you have a chakra healing ability. I was told that ability had died out in the Haruno clan." Madara began. "So I find it odd that you were using it the other night, on that old man."

Sweat began to roll down Sakura's forehead, as fear was rampaging through her very being.

"I-I have had it since I was a young child." Sakura responded.

"Well," Madara began. "Lucky for you, I'll give you a chance to live. If you obey that is."

Sakura drew in a sharp breath, her chest feeling tight. What would she have to forfeit in exchange for her life? Her father had told her that her gift was rare, and that she had to take special care of it. Was she the reason that they decided to invade her lands in the first place?

"What do you want from me?" She inquired, her voice shaking. A laugh sounded from the Uchiha king.

"A timid thing, aren't you?"

Sakura felt insulted by his words, immediately hating the way that she was indeed, afraid.

"I have heard of your ruthlessness. I don't for a minute assume that you won't just kill me." Sakura retorted, her anger giving her voice some firmness. The unamused expression replaced Madara's face once again.

"Well well, I see you have some grit." He continued. "No matter. You aren't wrong. I could slay you any time I see fit. However, I feel your abilities could be useful. If you want to stay alive, then you will heal my army when I command it." Madara offered.

Sakura gritted her teeth, clenching her fist. She wanted to refuse, she wanted to wipe that smug look off that man's face. She furrowed her brows, her eyes clenching shut as she allowed her anger to burst.

"I would rather die than be your tool!" She screamed. "Where is my father?! Where are my people! You-" Immediately, Sasuke grabbed her arms, twisting them behind her, causing her to let out a sharp yelp of pain. Madara was glaring at her now, irritated by her outburst.

"Sasuke, let her go." He commanded. Sakura felt his hard hands release her as he let out an agitated grunt. Sakura fell to the floor, rubbing her wrists.

"Your father is dead. Now, perhaps I should be the one to inquire about you." Madara hissed. Sakura's eyes widened in horror, knowing that there was no lie in his words. They really had slaughtered everyone, including her father. She could feel the tears immediately begin to sting at her eyes as she fought them back.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. Kizashi Haruno was my father." She croaked, trying to keep from sobbing.

"Ah, so you were his daughter." Madara wondered aloud. "Well, no matter. I'm putting you under Sasuke's command now since he is the general of my army."

Sakura looked up at the man who towered behind her. He stared at her, almost as if trying to figure her out, his mouth set in a thin line. His eyes were no longer red and had returned to the color of the black endless pits that threatened to swallow her.

"I have no interest in babysitting this woman." Sasuke refused as he looked at his King.

"Well, I'm handing her off to you. As you know, if you think that she will cause more problems than good, end her." Madara answered, almost nonchalantly as if her life were a toy.

Well, it was a toy. For them.

Sakura stiffened as Sasuke's rough hands reached down to yank her up onto her feet, pulling her onto her feet in one fluid motion like she was a sack of flour as he mumbled something under his breath.

"I will grant you a room to stay in, unless you would prefer to stay in a prison cell." Madara informed.

"Go to hell!" Sakura cursed, earning her a sharp shove from Sasuke as he pushed her out of the room, shutting the door loudly behind him.

"Watch how you speak!" He threateningly growled as he began to lead her away.

No other words were exchanged between them as Sasuke led her back down to the cell, unceremoniously shoving her inside before shutting the metal gate on her once again. Sakura glared at him, watching as he stomped away before she slumped against the wall, breaking into a sob at the realization that her father had been brutally murdered, and that she had left him to that fate, alone.

* * *

That woman was frustratingly defiant, and he hated how her defiance challenged him and interested him.

Sasuke angrily stomped away from the cell, unable to get the fierce look of defiance in her viridian eyes out of his mind.

Those eyes were strangely beautiful and alluring, and Sasuke hated the way they locked with his, and the way that his body reacted to them as if it had a mind of its own.

He had never met such a woman like her before in his entire life.

The way that her soft skin and petite frame felt in his hands were foreign, and he felt almost sinful touching it, wanting to retract contact from her the moment he touched her.

Despite the fact that she was no one of value, that she was insignificant to everything that he believed in, every time everything he knew dictated that he end her, there was an unfamiliar restraint. As if some part of him was begging him not to.

While normally he would not tolerate such insolence from anyone, for some reason he found himself currently giving her empty threats.

How long would his patience last? Would he end her, sooner than later?

Sasuke walked through the cold empty halls that he had guided her through, making his way back to his chambers.

No, he would not allow himself to be distracted, allow himself to feel anything other than what he knew he needed to, and that was the determination to serve Madara. His loyalty to his clan and fulfilling their ideas was all that mattered to him.

As he neared his room, ready to try and let sleep take him, he found Madara casually leaning on the wall beside the doors to his room.

"I see you are still ruthless, despite your hesitation." He commented casually, a dark look in his eye.

"I see no reason to treat that woman to any luxuries if she is defiant." Sasuke stated, keeping his expression stoic.

"Yet, I can see unusual hesitation." Madara observed. Sasuke frowned.

"Do you doubt my loyalty to you?" He questioned flatly. Madara smirked.

"I don't. I know that you are here to help me achieve my goal and make it a reality. I just find this rather intriguing is all." Madara replied nonchalantly, waving his hand in dismissal as he pushed himself from the wall, beginning to walk away, his back turned towards Sasuke. "However, Sasuke," Madara paused, his footsteps stilling, turning his head to look back at his general. "Betrayal would not be treated lightly, even if it were you."

Sasuke watched as Madara continued off after his passive warning. Sasuke clenched his fist, glaring at the back of Madara, disliking that this woman had so obviously shown that he could hesitate. That there was some part of him that could be weak.

When Madara faded out of view, he slipped into his room, slamming his door shut roughly with his irritation. Unceremoniously, he began to take off his armor and cloak, letting it drop to the floor, but leaving Kusanagi attached at his hip. Sasuke walked over to his desk, glancing at the picture he kept of his mother, father, and older brother.

If it wasn't for this war, maybe they wouldn't be dead.

Sasuke had worked hard to become someone Madara could trust, even if it was at the expense of the humanity he probably has lost. Nothing could ever help him regain that after the death of those that he held dear. He had made that his reason for fighting, his reason for killing. His reason for following Madara to the end of hell.

Not only was he left to fend for his own, but even his best friend had betrayed him, believing that his way wouldn't be good enough. Believing that those murderers had a better ideal for this world.

Sasuke was alone.

* * *

A small ray of light coming from the small window in Sakura's cell began to filter into the dark cold room, causing the pinkette to slowly open her eyes, revealing their viridian color as she brought her hands to her face to try and rub the sleepiness away.

Her eyes were swollen, she could tell from the sobbing that she had done the night before in the despair of her father's death.

There was no one waiting outside her cell this time as she huddled in the corner that she had fallen asleep in. She was not sure how long she had actually slept, and felt the soreness and weakness in her body.

What is it she should do from here?

Everything that she had ever known, everyone that she had ever loved, they were all gone.

Would her life be worth living?

The empty darkness of this prison offered her no comfort. Would she stay here until she rotted away, becoming nothing but another death in this war? She wasn't sure, but she felt that maybe she had drifted back to sleep momentarily as a dream came to her.

" _Sakura, you are a special girl. Your gift can save many lives. It's like Spring, bringing new life to those in need. Remember, my kind sweet beautiful girl, that every life is worth saving."_

" _Yes, I know, but what if that person tried to hurt me?"_

 _She couldn't see her face, the woman who spoke to her, but she was kind. She could feel a warmth, familiar as if she had known it all her life._

" _Sakura, remember, that peace is always brought by love. I will watch over you, always. Don't forget your kindness, your resolve."_

" _But the world is cruel, everyone I love is gone. Everything I know is gone…"_

" _Despair breeds hatred. Would you give into despair?" The voice asked. "Is it worth to give up on everything that could be?"_

 _The figure began fading away, as if a distance began to grow between them. Sakura yearned to chase after it._

" _Wait! Don't go! Wait I-"_

She wasn't sure how much time passed when she awoke from her dream before she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her, though she could tell by the heaviness of them that they did not belong to someone heavy, making them most likely a female's footsteps.

When the figure came into view, Sakura was relieved to find that her assumption was right.

A black haired woman with black hair eyes, just like Madara and Sasuke came into view, holding a plate plain rice and vegetables. She must clearly be part of the Uchiha clan. Sakura eyed the woman carefully from the corner of her cell, watching as she opened the cell gate, placing the food down on the floor before closing the gate behind her and walking away.

The woman had looked terrified.

Staring at the food for a moment, Sakura wondered whether she should eat it or not? Her stomach protested at her hesitance, begging her to fill her body with some kind of nutrient, but Sakura's mind was stubborn. Her grief bred defiance.

She didn't know how long it was before she heard another set of footsteps that came, becoming louder as they neared her cell. Sakura was still sitting in the corner, her knees tucked up into her chest as she buried her face into her arms that were wrapped atop them.

"Do you plan to just starve yourself?" A harsh voice grunted, though Sakura knew immediately who it belonged to.

Silence. Sakura felt no desire to answer his question, as she refused to move. She wanted to hide her face. She didn't want him to see the evidence of her grief. She heard the cell door open and his heavy footsteps enter, the stone loud underneath his footsteps as he stalked towards her sulking form.

"There's work to be done, but if you want to rot in this cell, fine." The voice conceded. Sakura lifted her head, her eyes meeting with Sasuke's. For a moment, she thought she saw a momentary glimpse of a shocked look on his face before it was quickly replaced by his cold expression. He looked slightly different in the light of the sun. Perhaps less menacing, and more humanlike.

"And if I don't go?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Then we have no need of you." Sasuke reminded her.

"What is it you want?"

There was a pause before she received an answer.

"We have men who have been wounded. They need treatment, and are more likely to survive with your abilities." Sasuke stated. Sakura stared at her hands for a moment, thinking what a curse her abilities had turned out to be, before clenching them, remembering her dream.

Without a word, Sakura brought herself to her feet, her eyes meeting Sasuke's.

"Fine." She replied curtly. Sasuke frowned as Sakura noticed him giving her a quick glance up and down.

"Let's go then." He commanded.

With that, Sasuke turned on his heel, in which Sakura followed. At least this way she would walk with dignity instead of being dragged by him. It was rather an unpleasant experience the night before.

The castle didn't seem quite so grim in the sunlight. Though it was still plain and almost barren, there were servants bustling around, doing their thing. Sakura felt a little uncomfortable as they glanced at her, but it seemed like something would send them scurrying away.

Sakura didn't know how long it was before Sasuke stopped. However, two women came rushing towards him, bowing.

"Clean her up." Sasuke commanded. The women bowed.

"Yes general." they responded. Sakura was caught off guard at the suddenness of it. The women didn't look at Sasuke as they turned their attention towards her, inching towards her which caused Sakura to take a couple steps back in hesitation, however Sasuke cast her a glare that made her stop in her tracks.

The two women gently grabbed her arms, pushing her away.

"This way please." One of them said quietly. Sakura surrendered her to their lead as they pulled her towards a nearby door, opening it and pulling her inside.

The whole room was a bathing area with a massive bath at the back of it. The room was steamy, and the heat was welcome upon Sakura's skin. The maids began to work on removing Sakura's clothes in which she immediately yanked herself away from their touch.

"S-sorry I've always done this myself." She apologized, upon seeing the startled look on the maid's faces.

"Okay, remove them yourself then." One of the maids responded as she gave Sakura her space. The other followed and was smaller than the maid that had spoke to her.

"Um, what are your names?" Sakura asked as she began to remove her clothes.

"Umi and Reki." The older one spoke. "I am Umi and this is my younger sister Reki. She doesn't talk really, but follows instructions." Sakura frowned. They both looked fairly young, and again had the same dark features as she had seen on every person that she had met here.

"How did you come to be a maid here?" Sakura asked, curious.

"We are orphans and so lord Madara let's us live in the worker's quarters in exchange for our work." Reki replied.

"I see…" Sakura trailed off. "W-what happened? To your parents, I mean." Sakura continued. She realized that she had bruises on her arms and legs, most likely from being in the prison and everything that had happened.

"T-they died in the war." Reki replied.

Sakura felt her heart sink. The war affected those of the Uchiha clan that died just as much as anywhere else. These poor kids were like her, their parents killed.

"Okay. Well, I can clean myself if you show me how this all works." Sakura offered, trying to change the subject.

"Come this way then." Reki instructed, her sister following her. Sakura followed them, seeing her reflection in the mirror for the first time, almost gasping at how different she looked.

Her skin was unusually pale, bruises decorating her body. Her hair was disheveled, and there was tear streaking dirt on her face. Her eyes looked dull in comparison to their usual lightness, and her eyes looked tired and puffy.

No wonder Sasuke had given her a strange look.

She almost didn't recognize herself in the mirror.

"The water faucet is here." Reki began. "You turn it like this. Unfortunately the water from the faucet is cold, but the big bath is heated." Sakura nodded. "There is a container of soap powder over there. We try to keep it dry as this is the community bath for all of us who work here."

"You mean you all share this?" Sakura inquired, curious. Reki nodded.

"Yes."

Sakura didn't ask any further questions as she began to do as Reki had instructed.

"Also, they don't like us to take a long time, and the general isn't a super patient person. We should hurry." Reki suggested. Sakura almost wanted to roll her eyes at the mention of his name. It's not like she hadn't already figured that out.

"Okay."

Sakura hurriedly began to wash the dirt and dried blood from her body. The soap did not smell of anything, but at least she felt a little cleaner. She quickly scrubbed her long pink hair, wringing it out once the soap rinsed clean. She stared at the bath, her body aching to go sit in the warm water, but she thought it was not something she should chance doing right now.

"Can I have a towel?" Sakura asked, her body shivering a little from the cold water.

"Yes, but don't you want to warm up in the bath?" Reki asked as Umi brought her a towel.

"No, it's okay."

"Okay, well there clothes just in that room over there." Reki informed, pointing Sakura in the direction of what looked like a little dressing room. Sakura hadn't noticed them before.

"What about my clothes?" Sakura questioned. Reki's face dropped.

"Well, they are dirty, but the general said you were not to wear them anymore." Reki replied. Sakura frowned.

"Fine. Just show me what I can wear, but let me keep my gloves, please." Sakura begged, following behind Reki into the dressing room. It was plain with wooden seats and square shelves. Towels were neatly folded and aligned on them, with baskets for dirty clothes and rows of folded clothes that Sakura presumed were clean. There was almost no choice of colors however as it seemed that red, navy and white were the only colors available.

She began to look through them, trying to find something acceptable for her to wear.

In the end, she settled for a red tunic and black pants. The tunic had sleeves that came down to her elbows and on the looser side while the pants were also looser but at least more fitted. She found a black tie that she could keep most of her hair out of her face with, and was glad that her shoes had been left for her.

Sakura caught one more glimpse of herself in the mirror, noting that at least she wasn't dirty and her hair was less disheveled, though her eyes were still dull, and she still had bags under them.

However, considering everything that she had just been through, she at least looked a little more like herself.

She gave her thanks to the two little girls before stepping back out into the castle hallway. She was met by a rather irritated looking Sasuke. Whatever he might have been thinking underneath his apparent irritation was hidden well by his grumpiness.

"Let's go." He commanded.

Sakura didn't say anything as she followed him. This time, he led her down a different wing of the castle, but it was obvious that it was set up a little differently. There were other women who hurried around, some with blood on them and panic. Sakura found it odd how dismissal of the scene Sasuke seemed to be, as if he was used to such things. He curtly turned to enter one of the rooms, and as Sakura walked in she could immediately smell the blood, sweat and rot that filled the room. If she had any contents in her stomach, she probably would have emptied them onto the floor, right then and there.

"These men were wounded on a scouting mission, ambushed by the Senju. Get them healed up." Sasuke demanded. Sakura sighed. The men were quiet at the sight of the general, as if they were afraid that one whine of pain out of them would end their lives.

Sakura walked towards them, unsure how she should start. She had always healed small injuries and things in her village, only having helped a gravely injured village member maybe once or twice.

"Which one of you sustained the worst injuries?" Sakura inquired as she tried to figure out what her first move would be.

"Him. Over there. His side was torn up pretty bad by a sword." One of them grunted. Sakura turned to see a man laying down in the corner of the room. Without another words she began to make her way over to him.

A man was laying on his side, looking really pale as he clutched bloodied clothes to it. Grabbing the gloves that she had kept from her clothes, she pulled them on. This was why she had wanted to keep her gloves. She had always worn them when healing people.

Carefully removing the bloodied cloth, a nasty gash was revealed underneath. Blood began to run down the man's stomach as the pressure was removed. Sakura immediately placed her hands slightly above the wound, concentrating as her hands began to glow green. She could hear the gasps of the other men as they watched.

Sakura concentrated as she willed the man's flesh to mend back together. It took a little time, but he stopped bleeding, the wound eventually closing up enough for him to get stitches and bandaged.

Rubbing the sweat that had formed on her forehead, she turned to the other men.

"Okay, who next?" She asked calmly. The men looked at each other, and at Sasuke who had been standing there, watching this whole time.

Sakura waited for their instruction and went to work on each wound that dictated needing something more than just bandages. She had probably closed up another seven major but not life threatening wounds before all of a sudden she began to feel herself become faint.

That's right. She didn't eat, and it had been a while since her last meal.

She had to push through though. She refused to show any weakness on her part, but it seemed that she wouldn't get a choice. Before she realized it, her vision went black.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but all of sudden Sakura fell to the floor, eliciting panic from the soldiers that she had been healing. Sasuke frowned. This woman was already getting people worked up about her? Pathetic.

One glare from him was enough to make them all shrink away.

That stupid woman had probably used up more energy than she had. Sasuke was observant enough to realize that because she stubbornly had refused her food, she probably hadn't eaten in at least two days at this point.

Without a word, he stalked out of the room.

"Take that woman passed out on the floor to maid's quarters." He ordered to two males.

"Yes sir!"

He continued on his way. It was time for him to train anyways.

Heading down towards the training room, Sasuke found himself irritated. He had honestly been intrigued by her ability to heal, watching the skin mend right beneath her glowing green hands. As if her hands held warmth and life i _n their very palms_.

He scoffed at himself.

He reached the training room, throwing open the door to find Madara sitting in the middle of the dirty arena.

"You're late." He commented.

"I was observing the prisoner heal our scout party that was ambushed." Sasuke answered.

"I see. I guess she does value her own life after all." Madara observed.

"Perhaps. However, if she steps out of line, I will keep my word." Sasuke replied in assurance. Madara nodded in acknowledgement, pushing himself off the ground walking to the edge of the arena to grab his favorite war fan. Sasuke withdrew Kusanagi in response, waiting for his King to return to the middle of the arena for their training. Madara had taught him a great deal of his swordsmanship even though he himself preferred to use a war fan.

"Do you remember what I said about the Senju being able to switch their tactics?" Madara inquired as the two began to circle each other in anticipation of who would strike the first blow.

"Yes. I should have thought more carefully about it before sending out that scout party." Sasuke replied, knowing that Madara was reprimanding him for his carelessness.

"Indeed. Not that their lives would have mattered."

Sasuke kept his expression stoic and unreadable. Madara was right. Life was expendable, soldiers were expendable, however, the numbers of their army would truly suffer at such recklessness. Sasuke had at least learned that they needed to be somewhat diligent in finding ways to keep their men from being killed.

"If that is so, then why bring this up?" Sasuke inquired, curious at the hot and cold attitude the King was taking.

"In a sense, we can be more powerful if less men die. And, less men will die, so long as that woman cooperates." Madara divulged as he decided to make the first move in swinging at Sasuke who deflected it easily with his sword. Madara was toying with him.

"You're suggesting a motive?" Sasuke realized. Madara smirked.

"Perhaps." Sasuke knew this smirk of Madara's all too well. There were many things that Madara did that even Sasuke didn't know about, but it did not stop him from serving him loyally.

Sasuke decided he would try to use his agility to find an opening to land a blow onto Madara, though it seemed that Madara was well defensed. He always was, but it never stopped Sasuke from trying.

"Opening's are not always easy to find, but when you find one," Madara began, as if tutoring. "You must get rid of it, or else you will become weak." Madara easily deflected Sasuke's attempt, sending him stumbling back. Sasuke stared at him. What was it exactly that that man surmising?

"Indeed." Sasuke agreed curtly.

"Sometimes, no matter what value they have."

Sasuke immediately knew what Madara was getting at. Sasuke gripped Kusanagi tighter, causing his knuckles to go white. Was Madara accusing him of being weak, again? Without thinking, he lunged at Madara, who in turn kicked him into the ground, pointing his war fan at Sasuke's throat.

"When are you going to come at me for real?" He taunted. Sasuke glared at him, knocking his fan with Kusanagi out of his face as he quickly got himself back up, taking a defensive stance. Madara chuckled.

"When are you going to stop letting emotions drive you?" He continued, still taunting Sasuke.

"My emotions do not drive me. They are nothing but a weakness." Sasuke affirmed, reigning in his anger, though the smirk on Madara's face threatened to fuel it even more. Sasuke's eyes had turned crimson red.

"Yes, that look of hate on your face. The look of a killer." He praised. "That's the Sasuke that I know."

In response, Madara's black eyes flashed to the crimson red of his own Uchiha blood trait.

As usual, Sasuke was still unable to best Madara at a duel, even it was training. He was ruthless.

Sasuke did not train with him often, but whenever he did, it always ended up with him getting some sort of a wound. He was lucky that this time he made it out with just a gash on his bicep. He had taunted him all evening, but Madara was the closest thing that Sasuke had to a family.

He headed towards the maid's quarters, wondering if that stubborn woman had woken up yet. It was now evening.

It was as if everyone could sense that he was in an especially foul mood this evening, as everyone he passed seemed to hide or scurry away more than usual, or perhaps he usually never paid it much mind.

Heading straight into the maid's quarters, he found it empty luckily, except for Sakura who was sitting on the side of one of the cots, staring out at the moonlight. If she had noticed his entrance into the room, she made no indication of it.

"You have limits." Sasuke announced, his low smooth voice causing the pink haired woman to jump a little bit as if she had been startled.

"Yes. I do." Sakura replied, though she did not turn her attention towards Sasuke as she continued to stare at the moonlight that came in through the sole window of the room.

Now that she wasn't dirty, Sasuke noticed the way that it reflected off of her pale skin. Her skin glowed softly in the moonlight, and for the second time Sasuke thought that she looked otherworldly.

"Do you value your life?"

That question was enough to make viridian eyes meet with his. They were a dark shade of green in the moonlight, but that same defiance and determination shone in them. This woman was a creature that Sasuke did not understand.

"Enough to know that I want to see this war end." Sakura replied ominously. Sasuke studied her face for a moment, as if trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind her words, however she averted her gaze, looking away from him once again.

Sasuke was not sure how he should respond to her words. Enough to see the war end? What had she meant by that? Did that mean that she would just do whatever she needed to in order to stay alive until that point?

"The war will end, with Madara leading the way." Sasuke finally said, stating what he believed.

"Hatred will only breed hatred." she replied, causing Sasuke to be only more confused at her strange words, yet angered by them.

"You do not know of what you speak." he spat, allowing his anger to rise.

"Sakura once again turned to him, her face showing every evidence of dislike that she had for him. He hadn't seen that look since the night that they had taken her from her home.

"Will you punish me for having a difference of opinion then?" She challenged in response. This caused Sasuke's demeanor to change, his face turning into a threatening glare.

"Don't forget that I will put you out of your misery any time I see fit."

"I'm not afraid of you!" Sakura argued, standing from the cot as if she truly was challenging the Uchiha. However, the sudden change of expression on her face indicated what Sasuke already knew. His eyes had turned crimson red as he stepped towards her. He saw the fear that flashed across her face before she tried to regain her composure. Sakura stepped back as he stepped forward, as if on instinct.

"You _should_ be, Sakura."

* * *

Phew, it felt like this chapter took FOREVER to write!

I really hope that it was interesting enough to grab your guy's attention, and that the tension that is already between Sasuke and Sakura is conveyed. There is a sort of attraction from the beginning between these two.

Since I have the entire story plot written out, I'm really hoping that all these story chapters will flow very consistently, and that i will be able to immerse you in this little fanfiction's world!

Thank you for reading, and please leave a review for me on this chapter! I really want to know if this is something you guys would be interested in reading more and delving deeper into the story for because these chapters usually run around 10,000 words, and 20 + pages. They take a long time to write.

Let me know your thoughts!


	2. The Words of Determination

Chapter two!

Thank you guys so much for your support, and I really enjoyed reading your messages and reviews! I am so glad that I have return readers that are still interested in the story, even after reading the original two chapters!

I had a few guests reviews, so I wish I could have PM'd you my reponses, but to the guest that asked if there would be lemons: Yes. There will be at some point in this story! Hence why it is rated M.

To ForeverUnicorn, I really have to thank you for your encouraging words! It means a lot!

* * *

Chapter II: The First Words of Determination

* * *

 _A small budding flame_

 _The desire to persevere_

 _Faintness of hope_

 _Seeds of doubt_

* * *

Three days had passed.

Sakura almost flew upright in her cot, her body feeling hot as night sweats had made her feel damp. Those crimson red eyes that belonged to that dark brooding general had haunted her again.

She hadn't seen Sasuke in three days following their argument in this very room, and dreams of his terrifying red eyes had invaded her dreams every night since. Dreams of her father, her village, the death that had come...

The other maids were sound asleep, and Sakura had no idea what time it was, but the room was still pitch black, the only source of light being the moonlight that shone in through the window.

Rubbing the sweat from her forehead, she decided to head into the small bathroom that was attached to their sleeping quarters, heading straight for the sink and turning it on, the cold water she splashed on her face bringing her some relief from the feeling of burning up.

Her chest felt heavy. She felt like it was difficult to breath, like she was trying to suck air in through a narrow funnel.

She grabbed a towel that had been hung nearby, drying off her face and neck. She would have to get up a little earlier to bathe, again. This had become the norm over the past few nights as each night the same recurring nightmare came back to haunt her dreams.

When Sasuke hadn't appeared the next day after his threat, Sakura felt some sort of relief. Instead, instructions had been left for her to continue to go to the medical wing and heal those that were sick and wounded. If she were to disobey, she would be killed.

Sakura did as she was instructed, noticing that Sasuke had indeed left a few Uchiha soldiers that sneered at her as she would walk by, their dark, onyx eyes staring hatefully as if they could burn holes through her very being. No doubt they had been instructed to deal with her if she were to step out of line.

However, when another day passed, and there was still no Sasuke, she began to become curious as to why she hadn't heard or seen him even once. Rumors began to spread in the castle. Apparently Madara had sent him to deal with the clean up and occupation of her now desolate home.

The mention of her home made her feel sick to her stomach.

He was there, and she wasn't. If she ever in her lifetime got a chance to return, it would never be the same. The people she once knew would be gone, with no trace of them ever existing left behind.

Her heart ached. She wished that she hadn't left her father that night. She wanted to grieve, to despair, and in some ways, she felt almost numb.

Another day passed after that, which brought her to her current predicament, standing in the darkness of the bathroom, desperately trying to ground herself to something in all this chaos. Desperately trying to not let her nightmares consume her.

Returning to the cot that she had been given, she laid quietly, staring at the bottom of the cot that was above her.

She had somewhat come to know the young woman who slept above her. Her name was Suki, and she was a shy and timid girl, again carrying the same featuristics of the black hair and onyx eyes that it seemed every Uchiha had, however, Sakura could see the sadness in them. The experience of loss. Sakura had wondered if her eyes would look the same as they do now, reflecting that same sadness and loss. Would she look like this woman did forever? While she was of the Uchiha clan and had lost her parents to the war, like the other two maids that Sakura had first met, she still seemed less tragic as Sakura felt, as selfish as that thought was.

It was then that a spark of determination began to take hold in her heart.

If there was nothing left of her past, nothing left of what she had once known, and no one else to remember it, then Sakura would be the one to carry those memories, and for that reason she would have to survive.

If she survived this war, she would find a way to visit her home once again, and she would find a way to preserve the memories of the life she had once lived.

Sakura didn't know how long she had sat there, lost in her thoughts when the first rays of light from the sun began to penetrate the room, bringing light into an otherwise weary place. Taking this as her cue, she quietly got up, grabbing her gloves and the fabric that she used to tie her hair back when needed. She would quickly bathe before heading to the medical wing and doing her duties.

She was glad that for the most part, it seemed that everyone seemed to leave her alone in the medical wing so long as she was doing her work. They would bring her wounded men, and even women at times as she quietly offered up her abilities to heal them. Rarely were there ever words exchanged. Sometimes, they would protest to such an outsider such as herself coming anywhere near them, calling her filth, but she would do her job to heal them if she could, biting back her tongue as she was insulted. There was a part of Sakura that almost didn't care. All of those insults couldn't bring out her defiance the way that Sasuke did.

It was going to be another long day, but she would get through it.

* * *

Madara sat quietly in his study, reading the reports that Sasuke had sent to update him on the status of their occupation of the homeland of what was once the Haruno clan. He needed to send Sasuke away.

He had noticed the questioning look Sasuke had almost forgotten to reign in when Madara had informed him that he was sending him personally to oversee it. Such a trivial thing to Sasuke, he was sure as any of his other higher up officials could have easily overseen such a thing, but Madara couldn't help but test Sasuke.

He was seeing hesitation in him like he had not seen before.

Sasuke was just a child when he had found him, cradled in the corner of his home, blood splattered on the floor and walls as the child stared at the bodies of his dead parents. A horrible betrayal.

His older brother Itachi had betrayed him. Killing off most all higher up officials in the clan, and anyone who had a high chance of manifesting the eyes of the blood trait.

At first, Madara was unsure of why he had left this little boy alive, and when Madara had found him alive, he at first was going to put the child out of his misery. However, the red of his eyes had made him change his mind.

Instead, he decided to take the boy in.

He would train him to be his loyal servant, train him in combat, and train him to use his eyes. After all, they were the only two in the clan left who could manifest them. If anything, he would be a useful tool in his conquest to end the Senju and bring the known world under his rule. There would be order under his rule, the strong would survive and the weak perish.

Sasuke had turned out exactly as he had raised him. He taught him sword skills, taught him to kill, and to throw away any emotions. He had turned him into the perfectly obedient tool. He had manifested his eyes, learning how to use them. Sasuke was indeed someone who reigned down death upon Madara's enemies.

However, for the first time since Sasuke was a child, Madara was seeing hesitation from his ruthless general. He was seeing a flicker of questions in his eyes. He was seeing something foreign when it came to the pink haired woman.

Madara found this intriguing enough to let her live. Despite the threats of death, if she were to die, she would not die by his hand. No, she would have to die by Sasuke's hand, to be sure that he eliminated any doubt from him.

Perhaps he should see just how Sasuke would act when it came down to whether her life amounted to anything or not. Would he strike her down? Madara was a mastermind of manipulation, and he knew this. Manipulating Sasuke was what he did best.

* * *

The task of cleaning up and repairing damage to such a small village seems like something that shouldn't take this long, but it was proving to be longer than Sasuke anticipated.

There was extensive damage from the fires to many of the buildings, and the clean up of littered bodies almost took an entire day itself. There was blood and death everywhere. Returning to this place was truly a gruesome sight, eerie and it smelled of death.

Where Sasuke thought that perhaps he should feel something, he held control of his emotions, of his thoughts, scarcely allowing them to linger on the thoughts of the people who had lost their lives here, and what had been so abruptly taken from them.

His statement that night still held true however. Madara was indeed an intelligent man, however he hadn't realized to just what extent the man could be deceitful.

"General, the main house. We are going to clear it out for you now." Came a soldier with a report. Today, they had been working on clearing out the debris and doing what repairs they could to the building in order to turn this into a military post for the Uchiha army.

"Good. I'll come see to the process." Sasuke acknowledged curtly. The soldier bowed before heading off. Sasuke had been camped out on the outskirts of the village, directing all the work. Finishing looking over some papers, and plans that had been drawn out of how they would manage the newly occupied village, Sasuke finished reading his report from Madara who was demanding why it was taking so long. He had no mention of his prisoner, not that it mattered. If Madara were to end her life, it would be one less thing to deal with. That's what he had convinced himself.

The memory of her viridian eyes, filled with challenge and determination flashed through his mind however causing him to scowl. Why would he think of such a thing now?

Putting the letter down, Sasuke gave a sigh as he decided to follow the shortly after the soldier who had told them that they were just now getting to work on the what they thought was the clan leader's house.

That house had been Sakura's home. He'd by lying if he said he didn't find himself at least a little bit curious as to what kind of life that she was living. How much would he be able to find out about her based on the contents of their house?

Their home had been situated a little outside of the main village. Upon first glance, Sasuke thought it to be small and quaint, but it was still a little bit larger than the other homes that were in the village itself.

The front door had been left ajar, the windows of the home shattered. They would have to be replaced before the home offered any sort of true refuge from the wrath brought down by nature's sky. He noticed that two of the soldiers were carrying a lifeless body, male obviously, but it was the pink hair that gave his identity away. Sasuke wasn't quite sure what compelled him to stop them.

"You over there." He low, calm voice commanded. The men stopped, almost as if freezing in place at the sound of the voice that belonged to their general.

"That man. Bury him out back." Sasuke ordered. At first the soldiers looked at him confused, wondering why Sasuke didn't want them to take this lifeless body to where they were burning the rest of the dead, but one menacing glare quickly garnered their compliance as they quickly changed course, taking the lifeless body out behind the house.

Enemy or not, Sasuke still found it in himself to respect the leader of his enemies enough to give them at least a proper burial, even if there would be no marked grave, or no trace that the man had ever existed.

Turning his attention to the house once more, Sasuke began to make his way into the home.

At first glance, it seemed like a normal home, the evidence of people having really lived their life in this home apparent, but the living room told the true sad story.

Messy, a small table that was flipped, a leg broken, books scattered everywhere, most likely from a force that had knocked them from their place on the bookshelf. A small couch also sat against the wall with window, however it was stained red.

While it was not Sasuke who had definitely been here, Madara had definitely slain the clan leader in this room. It smelled of decaying blood. He noted that some of the blood had dried onto the floors and walls.

Had Sakura been here, she would have most likely been slain beside her father.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, Sasuke once again turned his attention to the rest of the home. Pictures were neatly placed in the hallway, untouched, collecting dust. He turned his attention to them for a moment. Many of them were pictures of a young girl with the same pink hair as Sakura in which he assumed were pictures of her from when she was younger. He noted that she had a rather large forehead in her young age. Another picture was of another woman, one that Sasuke presumed was probably her mother, but other than the one picture, he did not see any more of her. Had her mother died? The rest of the pictures were of her father and her. They were smiling, as if there wasn't a worry in the world. Happy. A foreign lightness to their pictures.

Some part of Sasuke felt a moment of longing, as if he wished that it were him and his family in those pictures instead, as if he could have experienced the happiness that was portrayed. He scoffed, for a moment hating his own weakness.

Walking through the rest of the home, he noticed that the kitchen still had the remains of a meal in them, though everything that was not in use was neatly put away. There was a small table against the wall in the kitchen, seating for two. This confirmed this suspicion that Sakura had lost her mother at some point.

He continued on towards what he thought were the bedrooms. Upon first glance, the first room he walked into was definitely her fathers. It was plain but held evidence of someone who clearly oversaw many things. Papers were littered everywhere. Things were messily written on the walls. He decided not to linger there any longer as he came upon a second room.

This room most definitely had to belong to Sakura. At first he immediately recognized the scent that lingered. It was sweet, calming, and almost inviting. Her room was less plain, her bed still messy with clothes piled in a corner. There was a desk as well, however the desk was neatly organized which Sasuke found odd amongst the rest of the room that was chaotic. A bookshelf sat on one wall across from her bed and next to her desk, and Sasuke was able to make out several medical texts. At first glance he was able to see quite a few herbology books, and then some that were anatomical. There was a picture of Sakura smiling with that same woman who he had seen in the picture in the hallway, her mother. She looked younger in that picture, her hair short.

Before he could continue analyzing however, a soldier once again came to report to him, interrupting his thoughts.

"General, a mercenary is here demanding an audience with you."

Immediately Sasuke knew who it was.

"Tell him I wait outside my tent." Sasuke responded gruffly. That mercenary never once failed to show when Sasuke was away from the castle.

Feeling that he had spent longer than he should have allowed himself in Sakura's home, he quickly left her room, hastily exiting the home. Even from this far, he could see the familiar color of yellow and orange that stood in the distance, waiting for him.

"It's unlike you to contact me."

Sasuke was now next to the man, staring at him in full composure of himself. "It wouldn't have mattered either way. You persistently manage to track me down." Sasuke grunted.

"Indeed. What sort of mess did Madara get you into this time?" The man asked again. He was calm, though Sasuke recognized that look of life and determination in his cerulean eyes. He stood there, arms crossed as if he was leisurely enjoying himself, and not risking his life around men who wouldn't kill him without a second thought if Sasuke commanded it.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that, Naruto." Sasuke brushed off.

"From what I understood, this is the first time that you Uchiha have dared to begin invading the free clans." Naruto replied in all seriousness.

"Hn." Sasuke brushed pass the young man as he continued towards his tent.

"You know this won't sit well with the Senju." Naruto called at his back.

"I did not make the choice, nor do I care." Sasuke responded coldly. He could hear Naruto's footsteps begin to fall to the Earth as he followed the Uchiha.

"Why did you call me here, then?" The yellow haired man inquired again. Sasuke stopped, his back still facing Naruto but he turned his head to glare at him.

"I told you, It would have not mattered if I had or didn't. You always come here like a scourge that won't disappear." He hissed.

"Well it's not like I pose a threat to you." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly.

"Doesn't change the fact that if I wanted, I wouldn't kill you right here." Sasuke threatened, even though he knew that his words were most likely falling on deaf ears. They often did when it came to this old childhood friend of his. In an instant however, Naruto's calm and almost playful expression immediately changed to one that was much darker and serious.

"I'd like to see you try." He challenged, his voice serious. This only elicited an irritated growl from the Uchiha. "Anyway, the reason why I came is because there are reports circulating around the Senju that you guys kidnapped a young woman from the clan you occupied and killed everyone else." Naruto began. "Seems like I can confirm the second report at a minimum."

"Again, Naruto. That's none of your concern." Sasuke warned.

"Does killing all of these people really sit well you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked in seriousness.

"It matters to me not."

"You know you can't keep up this cycle of all the killing. The Senju outnumber the Uchiha three times over."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, feeling his anger begin to surface though he tried to restrain it. Whenever Naruto did come to visit him, he had always irritated him. It was the weakness of his old bonds that allowed this man to say such things to him.

"You know where my loyalties lie." Sasuke said with finality, drawing Kusanagi in a flash, though he knew that Naruto was just as sharp as he was, drawing his own sword to parry his attack effortlessly. By now, the onyx of his eyes had faded to their crimson red. Crimson met cerulean.

"Tch. Hostile as ever." Naruto remarked. With that, Naruto knocked Sasuke's Kusanagi from him, as he stepped back and sheathed his own sword. Sasuke lowered his, however, he gripped Kusanagi firmly in his grasp. Without another word, Naruto began walking away, Sasuke's crimson eyes glaring at his back as Naruto stopped for a moment to say one more thing. He did not face Sasuke to say it. "The Senju are onto you." Was all he said before he whistled and a brown steed came to his beckoning call. Sasuke glared as Naruto effortlessly mounted the creature before taking off.

There was always an underlying warning to Naruto's words.

* * *

Five days had passed since Sakura had last seen Sasuke. Her life seemed routine now. The nightmares that came in the night, the work of healing the wounded, and the loneliness of it all.

Though some of the other workers in the castle were friendly enough, none of them ever took any special interest in her, almost as if they were being friendly to just be polite. However, she found that most workers prefered to pretend that she just didn't exist, eying her out of the corner of their eyes. Perhaps they thought of her as some curse with her pink hair and viridian eyes. It was true that not a single soul had different features in the castle. There was only black hair and onyx eyes that filled the castle.

It was the morning on the sixth day. The first night that she actually did not have a nightmare visit her in her dreams. Coming to, she found that everyone in the castle seemed to be in a little bit extra of a hustle. Sakura got up, getting dressed as she usually did, however it didn't mean that she wasn't curious as to what all the commotion was about.

Luckily she ran into her top bunkmate.

"Suki, what is all the commotion about?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ah!" The girl replied, as if startled that Sakura would ask such a thing. "The general is back. Everyone tends to relax a little when he's not around."

Sakura looked at her, a little confused but she supposed that it was probably true. The same tensions, strict structure and very hushed conversations of those who tended to the castle seemed to have been a little bit more relaxed in the last few days. Maybe that's why Sakura found herself a little bit more relaxed herself as she tried to settle into things.

"Where is Sakura?" A gruff voice called. Hurriedly finishing the tie in her hair and grabbing her gloves Sakura dashed out of the maid quarters, the last one out.

"H-here!" She replied. The maids were either lined against the wall and scurried into other rooms if they were designated to work there.

"The general demands you see him at once." Came the voice of an Uchiha soldier. Sakura could tell immediately from the way that he held himself that this made was prideful, egotistical maybe, and his charcoal eyes held a disdain for her that he didn't ever bother trying to conceal.

"Y-yes." Sakura replied. The soldier grunted.

"What was that? I don't think I quite heard you." He sneered. Sakura knew exactly what this man was insinuating as she grit her teeth.

"Yes, _sir_." She said, emphasizing the 'sir' just wanting the man to stalk away. Luckily he gave a grunt of approval, muttering where Sasuke was waiting for her before stalking off. He was the kind of man that Sakura really didn't like.

Sakura ignored the strange looks she got from the other maids, some even whispering, and as soon as that soldier was out of sight, she began to head off in the direction she was sure would lead to where Sasuke had instructed her to meet him.

She wasn't sure why he wanted her to meet him in the training area, but she did as she was told.

When she came to the area, she could hear the angry sound of metal that ringed through the air it mercilessly rendered. Peeking in, she saw Sasuke, his sword firmly in the grasp of his right hand as he swung it through the air as if it were the most natural and fluid thing in the world. For a second, Sakura gawked at the fact that he made it look effortless, and that he was not wearing a shirt, training in only his black pants and boots. She wasn't sure how long she had been staring, not realizing it herself until crimson eyes that had been haunted her in her nightmares fixated on her viridian ones, causing her to immediately gasp and quickly enter the room and bow.

"General."

If he had noted that she had been staring at him for a while, he made zero notion of it.

"I see you've had a change of attitude." He observed. Silence fell between the two, however Sakura returned to an upright position. That's right. She had found some determination while this man had been gone. For a moment, she saw some unfamiliar expression cross Sasuke's face, but as always he maintained a stoic exterior unusually well.

She watched as he walked over to the right wall where he had laid down some items. Sakura surmised that it was probably his shirt, the sheath for his sword, and a container of water.

He had been sweating, his skin glistening from the moisture.

While he had been turned away, his red eyes had faded to their original onyx color.

"I want a report of the men you have been able to heal." He continued. He must have decided to ignore the fact that Sakura had chosen not to give a reply to his earlier comment.

"I've been healing them as they have been brought to me. There has not been a single person that has died under my care." Sakura replied back firmly, almost as if she was proud of her work. Sasuke stopped for a moment, as if his body language conveyed his surprise and somewhat disbelief at her words. However, the words that came out of his mouth did not convey that.

"I see." His attention was once more turned towards her. Their eyes met again, viridian with onyx. He had a scowl on his face. At this proximity, Sakura could detect there was a different tone to his eyes. Almost as if he was apologetic. She had forgotten just how much those eyes drew her into their bottomless depths.

"Did… you need me for something?" Sakura asked, desperate to escape his gaze. From this distance she could see everything his torso revealed about him, making her uncomfortable in a foreign way. The scars on his skin, his flat torso and the muscles that he had sculpted with discipline and dedicated time. This only amplified how much he looked as if he didn't belong in this world, his alabaster skin contrasting with his dark features.

"No." He curtly replied. His answer confused Sakura for a moment, making her wonder why he had called for her in the first place. "You're excused. Return to work." His back was once again turned to her as he walked towards a different wall that held different weapons in display.

Sakura, unsure of what to say or do, stared at his retreating form for a moment before realizing that she needed to get going. Without a sounded, she turned from him, and began to walk away, out of the training room and back towards her place in the medical wing.

What exactly had been the purpose of him calling for her? It perplexed her, and yet for some odd reason she couldn't help but feel relieved that he had.

She was lost in thought as she almost mindlessly made her way back to the medical wing, however, suddenly a male, older, but clearly a Uchiha soldier almost ran right into her, in a state of panic.

"Oh thank goodness!" He exclaimed. "You! Your the one who can heal wounds! Please help! My friend! He can't-"

"Where is he? Calm down, I will do what I can to help." Sakura replied, almost as if on instinct, her body kicking into alert.

"Oh thank you!" The soldier praised. "This way!" He began to run off in the direction that Sakura thought he came, though she found it a little odd that the hallway seemed a little dim. Wasn't it in the middle of the day? However, Sakura knew that there was much of Uchiha castle that she had never stepped foot in.

She ran deeper into the hallway, the darkness almost seeming ominous. Her mind was begging her to turn back, the natural human instinct to anything it thought might be a threat.

However, almost out of nowhere, cold hard hands grabbed her from what seemed like just the wall, wrapping a cloth around her face. Panic immediately set in. Sakura screamed as she tried to pry herself away, but her screams were muffled underneath the thick cloth. It was laced with an odd scent, one that her mind told her was familiar, however soon, her world went black.

* * *

The evening was approaching fast, and Sasuke found that he was in an unusually foul mood. He had been in a foul mood more often than not lately.

He was stupid for making her come see him, and now he was beyond irritated with himself. It was true that he wanted a report from her own mouth, despite the fact that the soldiers that he had placed on guard to watch her every move had more details to give him than she did herself.

Something had changed in her demeanor, he had sensed it when she greeted him in a respectful way, no matter how forced it may have been on her part.

That look in her eyes however, that defiant and determined glare of her viridian irises hadn't changed, and Sasuke found himself wanting to see them. He hated the way that for some inexplicable reason, he felt almost relieved when she presented herself.

He had noticed that she had stared at him from the door when she had first arrived to the training room. Had she been afraid to approach him? That would be completely unlike her previous demeanor however. In fact, she was one of the few people who had ever dared to challenge him at all… and probably one of the few to live through it.

Sasuke was in his office, dealing with the paperwork and attending to the army reports that he missed while Madara had sent him away. Perhaps this added to his foul mood as well. It left more for him to do when he returned to the castle.

He didn't notice when Madara slithered his way into his office, but Madara immediately had his attention once he heard his voice.

"Where has that pink haired woman been?" He asked, his voice deep and dark. Sasuke frowned, looking up at his King almost as if he was completely confused at the question, however the expression on his face did not show it.

"Last I knew, doing her job." Sasuke responded, uninterested.

"Well apparently no one has seen her for some time." Madara informed Sasuke all too calmly. Immediately the Uchiha general stood from his chair, the legs of his seat screeching from the abrupt movement. Great. Now what the hell was going on?

"She reported to me earlier today. No one has seen her since?" He inquired flatly. "Why was I not informed of this?!" He seethed.

"Sasuke, I was just happened to hear it in passing, which is why I came down to your office to ask." Madara continued. "It seems that perhaps there has been a misunderstanding somewhere."

Sasuke did not like the tone of Madara's voice. It was almost condescending, like Sasuke has utterly failed in his task of keeping that woman in place. "It _seems_ that I have incompetent men. I will take care of the problem immediately." The angry threat in his voice apparent as his face darkened into a displeased scowl. He immediately began to march right past Madara, heading straight for his office door.

"Will you strike her down Sasuke?" Came the questioning voice of Madara, as Sasuke disappeared from the room, leaving Madara's question unanswered.

He could not answer it. Everything that he had ever been taught dictated that he strike her down, and kill anyone who got in his way. Had she planned to run away? Would that explain her earlier behavior? Feigned obedience for the sake of biding her time?!

A million questions ran through his mind as he angrily stomped through the hallway. The first place he would go was straight to the medical wing. He would find out anything he could regarding that woman.

He was nearing the medical wing, one more corridor to pass by before he would begin to interrogate everything there. If anyone so much as hesitated or lied to him, he would cut them down. There was no place for traitors, he would not tolerate it.

Suddenly something green caught his eye in the flicker of dim lights that lit a corridor that strayed off from the main hallway. Green was not a color used to decorate this castle, that he knew. His curiosity dictated that he inspect what the strange green color could be, though his stubbornness demanded that he continue on his way towards the medical wing in his fit of rage.

Letting out an angry growl, his curiosity won over his stubbornness as he decided to investigate the foreign green object. Upon nearing it, he realized that it was a green cloth. Kneeling down, Sasuke picked it up, and immediately recognized the scent that came from it. It didn't take him any longer to figure out what most likely had happened to Sakura. Furious, his eyes bled to crimson as he glared at the cloth, squeezing it in his right fist as it erupted in eternal black flames.

His attention turned to seeking out whoever had done this. He would hunt down whoever had taken Sakura and kill them with his bare hands.

* * *

Rough motions, the sounds of hooves beating on the bare earth beneath her, and the darkness is what met Sakura when she began to open her eyes. Her body felt heavy and groggy, however she immediately realized that she had been restrained. A cloth covered her mouth to keep her screams from being heard, and her arms had been entirely bound.

Her eyes had not adjusted yet to the darkness, but based on what she could hear, there was a total of four horses. She knew that she had been taken captive, however who had taken her she did not have an entire idea of, but a small suspicion given that the soldier that had led her to her current predicament had been an Uchiha soldier.

Did they hate her so much that they would kill her themselves? What did they plan to do with her? Did they feel that someone such as herself was really such a threat to their way of life?

She continued to lie there as if she was still passed out. For now, it was probably best that she try to figure out exactly what sort of situation she was in if she had any hope of finding a way out. She didn't expect anyone to come for her.

 _Sasuke might..._

Sakura quickly shut such a ridiculous idea away. He would not. Her mind was stupid for thinking such a thing. She was nothing to a man like him.

"How far do you think we should go?" A deep male voice sounded over the thundering hooves of the horses.

"I don't think we will have to go much further!" Another male voice yelled back in response.

"I just want to get this over with quickly." A third voice sounded off.

Sakura's heart rate began to skyrocket with the implication of what their words meant and she could feel her body flushing with both adrenaline and anxiety. When the stopped would be the only chance she would have at attempting any type of escape, but the chances were they were all Uchiha soldiers, and if they were armed as they most likely were, there was no way she would get far, but she would rather go down putting up a fight.

Determination and defiance. Her mind began to race for different ideas on how she could possibly survive and improve her chances - her gloves! If there was any miniscule chance that Sasuke would go after her, she had to leave him some sort of clue, even if there wasn't much of a chance to begin with. She would have to carefully yank them from her back pocket and toss them while it looked like the galloping from the horse was just throwing her arms around. It was dark so there was most likely a low chance that the soldier would notice, even if he had placed her belly down in front of him on his horse.

Implementing her plan, she let her favorite black gloves fall to the dirt, not knowing whether or not they would be useful to anyone.

* * *

Mostly likely whoever Sakura's captors were, they would not be able to escape with her unnoticed from the castle grounds in daylight, and would have most likely made their move in the darkness of the night.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to figure out that four horses were missing, and along with them four soldiers. He wasted no time, demanding answers and instructing the stable attendants to ready his trusted horse, Nyx. His horse was as black as he was furious, her coat giving a beautiful shine in the reflection of the moonlight.

Sasuke had to think quick. He did not have much to go off of. So far, he had only been able to piece together that Sakura had most likely been knocked unconscious, kept hidden during the day as her captors waited for nightfall, and then taken out under the cover of the darkness. Four horses missing meant that there was most likely four soldiers behind the abduction. Uchiha castle and it's surrounded land was surrounded by a forest, but there was only two main roads that led to the clan village and castle that went either North or South. The South road led into the mountains of Indra and would make traversing the terrain difficult, especially at night. The North road however, took it's travelers deeper into the forest.

Most likely, her captors would take the forest route. It was much easier to traverse, especially if they wanted to be stealthy and stay undetected by using no form of light to guide their way. Not that it would have entirely mattered; there was a reason that Sasuke was known as the harbinger of death. None escaped his crimson eyes.

He said nothing as he mounted his mare, Nyx, giving her a sharp kick wIth the heel of his foot, spurring her into motion. The onyx of his eyes were immediately replaced by his crimson ones as he began to use their prowess to search for things that would otherwise be undetectable to the regular eye.

His suspicion had been right, and he knew that he was not far behind their trail.

The evidence of recently traveled earth and fresher hoof prints was evident to Sasuke as he commanded Nyx to gallop at her quickest pace.

Something caught his detailed vision that seemed a little displaced along the dull dirt of the pathway, shining slightly in the moonlight. In response, he pulled Nyx to a stop, effortlessly dismounting her as he landed onto the hard dry earth beneath him with an audible thud. Reaching down to pick up the item that had caught his attention, he realized that they were Sakura's. These were the blasted gloves that the maids had told him she insisted that she kept, and that he had seen her use while she healed the wounds of his soldiers.

Had she dropped them on purpose, or had these been dropped by mere coincidence?

Grasping the gloves firmly in his hand, he once again mounted his horse, ready to continue his pursuit.

* * *

It didn't seem like they had rode for much longer because Sakura heard her captors slow their horses down, the animals grunting and huffing as they did. It had given her just enough time come up with some sort of an idea. At a minimum, she was going to put up resistance.

"Here's good." One of the men voiced. "Honestly with a whole forest, no one is going to comb it that thoroughly, and that's if anyone even bothers to come looking."

"Don't you think that we could have just a little fun before having to do the hard part?" Another asked. Sakura did not like the tone in his voice. It sent shivers down her spine.

"Yeah!" Another one agreed. "We almost never get any time for that with such a hardass for a general!"

The men snickered.

"I can't believe that she's been passed out this long. She's way too easy!"

"Well get her weak ass off the horse! It would be way more fun if she was awake to enjoy the things we do to her."

Sakura could hear footsteps approaching. Rampant fear was coursing through her body knowing what could happen. Her mind and body screamed for escape, just any way out of this situation as she willed it to calm down. She had to think rationally. Just a little more! A few more seconds and the wait would be over and she would put her plan into motion.

She could a presence closing in on her, and the moment that she felt the slightest touch she growled, throwing her head back as hard and as fast as she could. A sharp pain immediately rang through her skull, along with the pained scream from the male behind her.

"You bitch!" He cursed, stumbling backwards. This was her chance! She used the momentum from her headbutt to land herself on her feet, taking off as soon as she felt the earth beneath them.

"Shit! Get her!" Another one screamed. Sakura could hear their loud footprints pursuing her, and the clank of metal. She had to go faster! She had to escape. This was her only chance!

It was short lived however as a rough hand grabbed her arm, yanking her mercilessly back as one of the males threw her to the cold hard Earth. Sakura began to scream, despite the fact that the tie around her face muffled the sound. It was a natural reaction. She tried to push away, desperately reaching to try and get up to run again, but the male forced her to the ground, pinning her with her face to the dirt.

"Somehow it's always more exciting when they resist!" He taunted. Sakura could feel herself easily being overpowered, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as the gravity and fear of her situation, the helplessness that she was beginning to feel sinking in. They would take every bit of dignity she had before throwing her away like trash! Was this the way her life was going to end?!

She had to fight! She refused to be helpless!

"Whoa, hey dude!" One of the male voices sounded, almost in disbelief. "We weren't really ser-"

"Shut up! What does it matter to you what I do to this bitch?!" The man on top of her spat back. Silence. The other men did nothing to defend her. Sakura screamed, desperately thrashing in an attempt to break free. However, her petite slim frame and strength seemed no match for the man on top of her as he grasped her arms in a binding grip that she was sure would causes bruises. Almost as if it was no challenge, he flipped her around onto her back. It was dark and she couldn't see the details of his face. Sakura didn't stop screaming. How could those other men stand there and pretend like this wasn't happening?!

The man on top of her weaseled his way between her legs, one arm pinning her binded hands above her. Sakura was sobbing with her screams. His other hand wrestled her legs down. Suddenly the glow of red caught her eye.

"What do you think you're doing?!" A menacing voice snarled, startling all of them. Sakura was hysterical at this point, but she immediately knew who the man was. Daring to look over, she felt the familiarity of his haunting eyes.

"S-sir! This little bitch was trying to escape! We caught her so-" but he was abruptly cut off.

"I'm going to ask you one more time." The voice demanded, low and threatening. "What do you think you are doing?" Sakura could hear the man who was on top of her audibly gulp and he scrambled off of her. She watched as Sasuke's dark figure inched closer, and the other figures begin to step backwards in fear.

"I-I told you! We found-"

"Sato shut up! He-"

Suddenly the sharp high pitched ring of metal being ripped from its sheath sounded through the air as Sakura saw the reflection of Sasuke's sword rip through the throat of one of the men. The remaining three let out a whimper of fear, their natural reactions demanding they retreat, as if their fear was palpable. Sakura clenched her eyes shut as the terrified sounds of men screaming and metal rendering their flesh rang through the air, the scent of fresh blood invading her nose.

"Men like you have no place in this world!" Sasuke snarled as he took their lives without a second thought, without hesitation, their lifeless bodies falling to the earth like heavyweight.

Though it felt much longer than it took, Sakura couldn't help but realize that she felt a small amount of relief. Sasuke had come for her after all. Silence filled their air for a moment after the last man was slain, before Sakura heard footsteps resume, coming towards her. In response, she slowly opened her viridian eyes, daring to see Sasuke. His eyes were still glowing an angry crimson red, and Sakura found herself mesmerized by them as if she would be okay being sent to the depths of hell in their gaze. Without a word, he grabbed her, albeit a little roughly, flipping her over to her front again as he took his sword to swifty cut the fabric that covered her mouth and bound her arms.

"Explain." He demanded, his voice angry and sharp. He was still just as threatening, just as demon-like as Sakura knew him to be. She shivered at his voice. For the first time since she had met this man, her defiant and challenging nature had shrunken away. She had been terrified at the thought of that man forcing himself on her, and no one coming to her aid, not even the ones who were willing to stand there and let it happen.

"I-I was… T-they… I-" Sakura stumbled, knowing that Sasuke likely did not have the patience for her inability to give him an answer. She was waiting for him to display his irritation at her, but what caught off guard when all she was met with was an agitated, frustrated grunt.

"Sakura." Sasuke growled, the strain of bringing himself under control evident.

"I'm sorry." Sakura couldn't stop herself as she broke out into a sob. It didn't matter how much she didn't want to cry, didn't want to be weak, her body was doing it on its own. She just wanted to lock these feelings, this fear, away. Push them to the farthest corners of her mind.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't believe them and end your life." Sasuke demanded, indifference still in his voice. He still held his sword as if he could strike and kill any second. Sakura found herself somewhat confused at his distrust towards her, despite the fact that he had slain those men without so much as allowing them any words of explanation. Why would he bother killing them and letting her live if he had so much distrust towards her? What would be the point?!

"Go ahead Sasuke! Do it then!" Sakura angrily sobbed, daring to glare at the Uchiha general. "It would be more merciful and less pitiful than begging you for my life!" His crimson eyes glared back into her viridian ones, as if contemplating her dare. He said nothing in response, however she could hear him rip off his black hooded coat, tossing it to her as he let out an angry, frustrated growl.

"Put that on." He sneered, as he turned away, sheathing his sword. He gave a sharp whistle, and Sakura could hear what sounded like the thumping of hooves headed their way. Her eyes still couldn't see that well in the darkness, however, in the moonlight she saw a beautiful pure black horse come to Sasuke's call.

Sakura did as he said, throwing on the black coat and closing the fasten around her neck. The coat almost drowned her much smaller and petite form considering that it had been made to fit Sasuke's. For a moment she had to marvel at the black horse as it gave it's greeting to its master. Sakura couldn't help but think that the horse was dark and alluring, much like Sasuke. How alike they were.

"Do not speak a word of this to anyone."

Sakura could only find herself giving him a small nod indicating that she understood him as she watched him effortlessly mount the black majestic animal as he reached down to Sakura, offering her his hand as his crimson eyes studied her. For a moment, Sakura was unsure of whether to take it. If she took his hand, how much further would he consume her? How much further would she fall into the deep, dark pit of the forbidden longing she was beginning to feel for Sasuke?

* * *

Sasuke's eyes burned.

He had used his sharingan for much too long looking for that damn woman.

They did not speak a word to each other as they rode back to the castle in the dead of the night, the sound of his mare Nyx's hooves thundering against the ground the only thing from keeping the forest from being eerily silent. He had used ameterasu to burn those men's bodies into nothing once they left, something he would not allow Sakura to see. He wanted to no evidence of their existence left. They did not _deserve_ such a thing.

He had indeed found them not longer after they had stopped, camouflaging himself in the shadows as he observed what was going on. He needed to in order to confirm his assumptions and intervene at the right time. He watched her attempt to struggle, he watched her determination to escape, but the sight of that man on top of Sakura, the tears that streamed down her face and look of terror and helplessness that was strewn on her face had been eternally ingrained into his mind thanks to the curse of his eyes. He did not know why, but it had angered him in a way that he did not and could not understand.

He understood death, he understood duty, he understood loyalty… but he did not understand why he felt shame in allowing such a thing to happen. In that moment, he wanted to fiercely protect Sakura from it, and it made him _angry._

Before he had even managed to arrive at the scene, he had already pieced together enough information to know that this whole thing had not been Sakura's fault, and that she had been a victim. The fact that those men suddenly accused her of trying to run away and pretend that they were doing the right thing by capturing her was already absurd to him at that point. The false excuses only fueled his anger.

However, despite the mounting evidence against them, the tiniest voice of doubt always clouded Sasuke's mind, making him ask the 'what if' question. He had slain those men without so much as a warning, without so much as a second to consider their excuses, and he felt no remorse in doing so.

The 'what it' question left Sakura under his scrutiny, and his way of thinking, his way of doing things demanded that he put her under suspicion as well. He still could not trust her, despite the fact that deep down he already knew the answers. For the first time since he had met that pink haired, viridian eyed woman, she did not have that defiant, challenging tone to her eyes that he found enticing. No, they had been filled with terror and resentment tonight. In fact, she had almost resigned herself to it, and it made Sasuke furious. Furious at himself that he had waited so long to deal with the problem. Despite the fact that he felt turmoil, he had still be cold towards her in the end.

Sasuke knew that Sakura would have bruises that decorated her skin tomorrow, and that she would not be able to tell a single person about it. Though it was a silly thought that he immediately dismissed. If she could mend ripped apart gaping wounds, she could definitely heal a few bruises.

When they finally arrived back at the castle, he swiftly guided her inside, hoping the black coat would shield her from any possible and prying eyes thought it was the very early hours of the morning. She returned his cloak to him, mumbling a 'thanks' though she avoided any eye contact in doing so before walking off in the direction of the maid's quarters without another word or look at him.

There was a tight knot in his chest, though he ignored it as he watched her back shrink with the distance she put between them.

Shortly after, he decided to return to his bedchambers to try and calm his burning eyes. He would need a good night's rest if he had any hope of them recovering to where he was no longer uncomfortable, but something told him that he was not going to sleep well that night.

All he could think about was what had happened, and how he could prevent such a thing from happening again. He would be logical and methodical about it. The fact that he had soldiers that were willing to do such horrible things made him hate the fact that there were Uchiha was no honor. Uchiha held honor in high regard. He had always been a man of honor, no matter how cruel he could be. Second, Sakura's abilities made her both valuable and a target. He needed her to keep healing the soldier's in their army, but he also needed a better way to safeguard her as an asset, and that meant that perhaps she should know at least the basics of defending herself.

For a moment Sasuke's mind wandered off to the thought of her petite and small frame making any sort of defence training possibly useless, remembering how tiny she had felt against him when he had pulled her up to sit in front of him on Nyx to bring her back.

It was almost like she had _belonged_ there, and Sasuke didn't find himself hating it.

* * *

Another chapter finished! Phew! I hope that this chapter was exciting as I am getting around to introducing new characters, and revealing things that will play a very big part in the future!

I really hope that you guys will leave me a review! I really enjoy reading your thoughts! My writing can always improve as well, so I am also always up for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

Thanks for reading! Reviews really help motivate me to write new stuff! I currently do not have any idea how long the next chapter will take, but expect some even more interesting things to take place!


	3. The Signs of Distress

You guys seriously slay me!

All of your reviews from this last chapter have been amazing! I really appreciate that you took the time to leave me a little something!

In response to a guest review: There was a specific section about Madara and his plan to kidnap Sakura for the later event in the story. While you the reader, know that he planned it, Sasuke does not. It will make for an interesting event later.

In response to another guest review: Aaaagh! Okay I can see why you were confused that Sakura would expect the other kidnappers to intervene with her attempted assault. While yes, their plan was to kill her, it was more of a plea of did it really need to go that far? Kind of thing. Like just kill her and get it over with, lol. But honestly, I didn't even think about that when I wrote it, so thanks for bringing it up! It reminds me to be a little more conscious as to how the reader views it vs. me the writer!

Guest reviewer UnicornForever: Aaaaaaah! I totally let out a fangirl scream to see that you had come back to read and review the next chapter too! Thank you so much for your encouragement, and I am glad that you seemed to have picked up on the foreshadowing that I tried to add. Indeed I do finish chapters as quickly as I can when I have time. There will be times that uploads might take a while. Yes, please do expect some big character developments in the future! XD

Guest reviewer Kiki: Hi! So glad that see that you've come back to read my other fanfictions as well! Indeed Sasuke is horrible, ruthless, and brainwashed at this early point in the story. Don't worry, he will have huge character development as the story progresses!

As for saralynfara, I know I already responded to your review, but I seriously can't thank you enough for all the details you included! They are things that I will take into serious consideration as I continue the story! You're awesome!

Also, Rinnfantasy brought up a great point. I know I also responded to your review via PM, however I wanted to include it here in case there were others like you that also thought that it was strange that Sasuke considered himself to be 'honorable'. The things he has done would indeed not be considered honorable by any means, and although I may have not made it very clear, at this point in the story Sasuke has been entirely raised by Madara since he was a little boy, so his views on what a thing like honor means would be twisted. For those of you who are wondering, don't worry. This topic will be brought up again and questioned later in the story!

Anyway, I hope that you're prepared because some major things are going to be happening from here on out!

Also, PLEASE NOTE that the beginning of this chapter may be a trigger as Sakura deals with the aftermath of her attempted assault. Please keep that in mind. I do not pretend to know anything of how such things would be dealt with in real life, and most certainly do not intend it to offend anyone. If it makes you uncomfortable, I would skip the part until there is a line break.

Thanks so much for reading!

* * *

 **Chapter III** : The Signs of Distress

* * *

 _Foreign and unfamiliar_

 _The struggle of control_

 _Curiosity can be cruel_

 _Suspicion creating doubt_

* * *

Sakura felt like she could not utter a word to Sasuke when she handed him back his black cloak. She managed to quietly mutter a small 'thank you', but she dared to not look him in the eye.

The return travel to Uchiha castle had been silent between the two, and despite the warmth she felt from Sasuke's body sitting behind her on his horse, it did almost nothing to bring her any form of relief. She was shell-shocked, as if her mind was struggling to grasp the events that had just transpired.

During that whole incident, adrenaline had been the only thing keeping her going, and her mind that was desperately hoping for an escape and to survive had been relieved when Sasuke had come and executed her assailants. However, with that adrenaline and natural instinct for survival now gone, the horrors of the reality of her situation had a firm grasp on her.

She had almost been assaulted. In her naive little world, she had never thought once about such a thing ever happening, and it was a reality check that this world was truly a savage place. How could she have ever fooled herself into thinking anything else? Perhaps it was because she had been raised outside the known world of war.

Her father, her mother, they had both always taught her to believe in the good of everything, but they did not understand the true horrors of the world. They _could_ not. Because of their belief and teachings, Sakura found herself desperately wanting to believe that there was something _good_ and _kind_ in Sasuke, his hesitation and presence fueling her disillusioned thoughts. Her desperate search for something, or someone to ground her to reality was making him something else he was not in her mind. He may have come for her, but he had still murdered those men in cold blood without hesitation like he had on that same fateful night that had changed her life forever.

No matter his outward appearance, it did not change who he was.

It did not change the fact that he had threatened her life again, or the reality that the reason that he had probably come in the first place was the same reason that she had been kept alive this long.

Sometimes, reality was cruel and reminded you of it with a hard, unforgiving slap in the face. Her reality was she was a war prisoner, kept alive for her healing abilities, a _tool_. The determination she had found was her resolve to just _survive_. That's all that mattered. Keeping the memory of her father, mother, and her people alive had become her incentive. To think that anything different would happen was just idiotic.

Sakura was truly alone.

She chose not to go to her room that night after walking away from Sasuke, instead finding a wall to settle herself against, letting out muffled sobs while she cradled herself in the fetal position against the cold floor and wall. The castle itself seemed to paralleled her mental and emotional situation. It was cold, dark, eerie and grim in the darkness.

Sakura didn't know how long she had sat there quietly sobbing, but she could smell the stench of blood, dirt, and sweat on herself. While all she wanted to do was shrink away and give up on caring, she knew that she had to go and get cleaned up before any of the other workers woke up to begin their daily routine. She did not want to create any more rumors about herself than there already were. She did not want to stand out, though her viridian eyes and pink hair were already doing that for her.

Weakly, Sakura finally stood up and headed straight for the bathing area. She took one small step in front of the other as she slowly and quietly made her way there.

Arriving there after what seemed like one of the most anguished walks of her life, she was at least relieved when not a single person was there. It was in the very early hours of the morning, the moon still very much in demanding control of the night, so it was unlikely that anyone else had risen to bathe in the early hours before sunbreak, but the possibility was always there.

These clothes that covered her body - she never wanted to see or smell them again. Without any regard for them, she began to rip her shirt and pants from her body, discarding them both along with her underwear underneath. She almost angrily threw them into the trash that was in the dressing room that was connected to the bathing room. The red of her shirt and black pants hid some of the blood that had splattered onto her, but the smell of blood was still there. She smelled of it even if it hadn't really touched her skin directly thanks to the stained clothes.

Sakura walked to one of the shower stalls, the mirror on the wall taunting her as she avoided letting her viridian eyes meet its reflection. She stared at her feet instead, which were dirtied with dirt, before turning on the shower faucet. She didn't care when the shower at first rained down cold water onto her skin, the icy droplets almost stinging her before it was slowly replaced by warmer ones. Even if the water had become warm, it didn't seem to soothe her like it usually did.

The dim light in the bathing room was enough for her to notice strange marks beginning to appear on her skin, even if she had been avoiding looking at them. Slowly, she looked at her arms, glancing at her left and and then right one. That man's harsh grip had left several haunting reminders of what he had tried to do on her body. That wasn't the only place either that left its mark, as her wrists were swollen from the restraints. Daring to look downward, her thighs and ankles also had those purple angry marks on them.

Just as she had thought she had finally finished sobbing, this time she began to weep as her fear turned to anger. Anger at her helplessness. Anger that her skin bruised easily and left her such colorful, horrific marks. Grabbing soap from the container that had been placed nearby, she hastily began to lather her body, her vision somewhat clouded from both the shower and her tears. She dug her nails into her skin as she scrubbed any dried blood and dirty away, her nails leaving angry red marks in their wake on her porcelain skin.

When she finally finished cleaning her body, she also shampooed her hair, scrubbing it vigorously before rinsing the soap from her dirty pink locks. Sakura dared to look in the mirror after that. The expression on her face and eyes were once again similar to the first time that she had seen herself in the mirror after being brought here.

This time however, Sakura was able to see the full extent of the marks that covered her arms and legs, and she couldn't stare at herself anymore.

She reached for the faucet, twisting it off which created an audible squeak that resounded through the bathing room as she stopped the flow of water that came from the shower head. Her wet long pink hair stuck to her back and clung to her face. Grabbing the towel she had brought with her from the changing room, she quickly wrapped her soaked locks of hair in the towel and up around her head as she went to go sit in the hot bath.

She knew that she would have to get to work mending her bruises, and for the first time she was somewhat happy that she had the power to erase the marks of tonight's events. Even so, it did not stop her from wondering if all this would have never happened had she not had this power in the first place.. Even if the physical evidence were erased from her body, she would not be able to erase them from her mind or memory. If she hadn't had the power to heal people in the first place, would losing her life along with everyone else in her village that night been better?

Settling on the edge of the bath, she shakily hovered her right arm over her left arm, willing her healing chakra to create the familiar green glow from her palms. She watched almost in an empty trance as the purple marks began to disappear under the faint green glow, though there was familiarity in the warmth of her chakra that began to heal her bruised skin.

Sakura needed to find a way to continue to survive. She needed to find a way to protect herself…

Even if that meant changing who she was.

* * *

Loud knocks came against Sasuke's door. Sasuke irritatingly groaned, feeling that it was too soon for anyone to be bothering him.

After returning to his bed chambers last night, he had bathed himself in his private bathroom, his eyes stinging all the way until the point that he finally retired to the lounge chair in his room, settling himself in an upright position with his head thrown back and his eyes covered.

He had forgotten how much he hated the burning and painful side effect to using his gifted eyes for an extended period of time. Madara had always told him that if he trained them more, he would gain more stamina, something that Sasuke would have to start taking more seriously. While he used them regularly for anticipating an opponents movement, he had not used them as much in the type of situation that he would require their use for better detail, and chakra sensing. He had strained his eyes in a much different way. He also did not use the flames of amaterasu very often either. He was probably lucky that his eyes had not started bleeding.

Grumpily, Sasuke pulled himself upright, lifting his body from the lounge chair as he walked over to his door to open it. He kept his eyes covered with his forearm to minimize how sensitive he knew they would be in the bright sunlight.

"What is it?" He demanded gruffly, as he swung his door open to converse with his waker.

"General." came a male's voice. Sasuke guessed it to be a soldiers. "The King wants to see you." He reported. Sasuke let out a sigh, slowly taking his forearm from his eyes. He opened them slowly, letting them adjust to the daylight. They were no longer causing him a stinging pain, but were still sensitive.

He didn't reply to the soldier as he gave him a quick look up and down before practically slamming the door in his face.

That's right - Madara would most definitely question him about last night events, especially after being the one that basically sent him to take care of his prisoner. Sasuke had somewhat been dreading how exactly he was going to give Madara the details. From a logical standpoint, and from his standpoint as the general of Madara's entire army, it had made sense to secure their 'asset'. Would Madara question that? However, it seemed that Madara would have been fine if she had just been killed.

It was barely morning and Sasuke was already frustrated as he ran his large calloused hand through his hair. At least he had managed to get some shut eye though. He thought for sure that he would not have slept well, but perhaps the use of his eyes had taken enough of a toll on his body for him to need that rest.

He fumbled around his room, grabbing a black high collared shirt to throw on. He had always preferred to sleep shirtless. He did not care to wear any of his other attire for the day. No shoulder guards, no cape, no fancy anything. Just his shirt, pants, boots and his katana Kusanagi fastened around his hip were good enough.

Pulling on his black boots, and securing Kusanagi, he exited his room, heading towards Madara's personal office room. He knew that Madara would be there, as that was most often the place that Madara called on him to meet.

Sasuke took his time walking there as he contemplated how he would answer Madara. The maids and workers were already busy, bustling around to complete their duties, and Sasuke for a moment wondered if Sakura had returned to her work at the medical wing. Would she go on like nothing had happened?

Madara's office door came into view sooner than Sasuke would have liked. Grinding his teeth in anticipation, Sasuke knocked, letting his presence be known before he entered the King's study.

"You wanted to see me." Sasuke stated, rather than giving a greeting. Madara was standing at the large window in his office, looking out towards the landscape. As usual, his office was neatly organized, his desk piled with neat stacks of papers, and the books he kept neatly placed on the tall bookshelves. This office had been handing down from King to King, and it held many books collected by each one over the past of many years.

"Indeed. I'm curious as to last night's events." Madara answered calmly, but Sasuke could detect a tone of displeasure in his voice.

"The issue was appropriately dealt with." Sasuke responded curtly as he stood facing Madara, the King's desk separating the two. Madara turned to look at him, his expression of displeasure evident on his face as well.

"Oh? And the result?" He questioned further.

"A few soldiers acted on their own accord and kidnapped Sakura. I do not tolerate such treachery among my own men." Sasuke answered firmly, keeping his cold composure. Madara frowned.

"I see." Madara replied. "What did you base that on? Are you sure that she did not try to escape?" He added. Sasuke felt his Madara's questions were a little unusual, but he was careful to keep his composure stoic.

"If she had, I would not have spared her life." Sasuke responded flatly, holding his ground. "As of current, she is valuable as a healer. The deaths of our soldiers has decreased."

"A reasonable assertion, I suppose." Madara conceded, albeit seeming reluctant to do so. "However, that doesn't seem to be a good argument if you are the one killing our own men."

Sasuke stiffened, his mood souring. He did not like the insinuation that Madara was making. "If those men were capable of such things, then who's not to say that they would not have betrayed us at some point or another?" Sasuke asked in return, as if to justify his actions. "You entrust me as the general of your army, which means that all soldiers are to be dealt with appropriately. I will not allow traitors among our ranks to live."

"Sasuke, are they traitors if their actions were against a war prisoner? You seem to be forgetting that Sakura is nothing more than that, even if using her is valuable." Madara questioned back. "Whether we use her or not, I do not think that it will change the end outcome of this war."

"You were the one who entrusted that prisoner to me." Sasuke responded flatly.

"Indeed I did, however, it seems to me that she is becoming a distraction." Madara accused. Sasuke was unable to keep his stoic composure as an irritated scowl darkened his face.

"I can assure you that she is not such a thing." Sasuke defended.

"Well, it's not like it's undeniable that her exotic features are impressive." Madara pressed.

"A woman like _that_ could never entice me to play at romance."

Madara studied Sasuke's face for a moment, as if raining down judgement upon him before he spoke again.

"I suppose not." he conceded. "I am the one who raised you after all. If I wanted it, I have faith you would strike her down without a second thought. However, for now, her abilities are useful. You however, should watch your actions. We would not want people getting the wrong idea."

"I am aware of that." Sasuke answered.

"Good. Then I suppose I will have nothing to worry about in the future then." Madara agreed.

Sasuke gave his King a bow before turning curtly to exit the office, eyeing Madara's staring expression from the corner of his right eye as he exited, shutting the door behind him.

Him play at romance?! Sasuke scoffed at the ridiculous idea as he headed towards the training area. As if he would ever be interested in an outsider like her, and in someone so insignificant.

He would not deny the strange pull and curiosity he had towards Sakura, but it didn't matter. It did not change the fact that nothing could and would not happen between them. He was an Uchiha, and loyal to his King.

* * *

"So you're saying that the Uchiha have taken a war prisoner from the Haruno clan?" A man questioned, his dark eyes falling upon the blonde with cerulean eyes that stood before him.

"Yes. From my understanding and from the rumors I've heard, she has a healing ability." Naruto answered firmly. "I was under the impression that ability had died out in the Haruno clan a while ago."

"Indeed. That clan has always been a peaceful and an independent one. In fact, their main village location isn't well known. I had a hard time believing the rumors at first when I heard that the entire village had been slaughtered and that the Uchiha had invaded the free clans. This does not bode well." Hashirama contemplated.

"No, it doesn't. The Uchiha have taken over the old village and are turning it into a military outpost. There is a good chance that the other free clans might also be threatened." Naruto added. "I have heard that some of the smaller ones have even abandoned their village to try and find refuge elsewhere and hide."

"He has never dared to expand like that before. Neither have we. Our quarrel has always been between our two clans. It is a concern that at this rate, the bloodshed may not end that more innocent lives will be lost. It's almost become a whole different war in itself." Hashirama paused for a moment before continuing. "Madara's invasion is truly a sign of just how delirious he has become."

"I don't know what he is planning, but I think it's safe to say that it probably won't end well." Naruto concluded.

"Agreed. I am not usually fond of going out of our way to launch an assault against the Uchiha, but if their prisoner is really who you say she is, then I think it is something to be concerned about. Whether this war concerns that woman or not, she needs to be brought to Tsunade." Naruto nodded.

"Yes." Naruto curtly nodded in agreeance. His face showed a moment of hesitation before he spoke again. "I do however, want to offer my assistance if you are going to lead an assault on the Uchiha this time.

"Naruto, I can't ask you to get involved in this."

"You know that I don't care if I'm one of the last members of the Uzumaki clan. I knew Sasuke as a little boy. He's still my best friend, even if we can't agree on things. There is someone else in there besides the hatred that Madara has raised him with." Naruto passionately argued, causing the Senju king to sigh.

"I don't know if Sasuke is saveable Naruto. We've all seen what he's done." Hashirama pointed out. A look of determination settled on Naruto's face.

"I don't believe that. Sasuke is a product of his environment, just like I was. If I can turn out okay, so can he."

"So stubborn. Fine. I'll allow you to be a part of the campaign. After all, you've been the one helping me and our strategist with information. Don't allow yourself to get distracted, Naruto." Hashirama warned.

"I won't. Our goal is to get the Haruno prisoner, that's it." Naruto confirmed.

* * *

As the day continued, Sakura couldn't help but feel as if she was living a life outside of her body like a surreal experience. She was there, but it felt as if she wasn't at the same time. She continued on as if this was the way she had always lived, almost as if numb to everything around her.

She had managed to erase all the marks on her body that she could find with her healing ability, and was grateful that she was able to appear as if nothing had even happened.

Sakura continued working in the medical wing, tending to all the wounded that came to her. It seemed that the number of injuries had gone down in the past couple of days, but that was probably due to the fact that there wasn't any active war activity going on at current, and for that Sakura was grateful.

However, she couldn't help but feel more weary of the people around her after everything that had happened. Others paid little attention to her, leaving her to her own devices, however, that didn't stop the tell tale signs of whispering and words being exchanged as both workers and soldiers looked at her, talking in hushed tones alike.

Doing her best to ignore them, Sakura continued to work. It wasn't until it was time to break for lunch that someone struck up a conversation with her.

"Hey, I noticed you were gone yesterday night. What happened to you?" Suki asked curiously as she came to sit beside Sakura in the dining hall. They had been given bread and soup for lunch today. Sakura's mind almost began to panic as she began to think up a viable story.

"Oh yesterday night?" Sakura asked as if trying to confirm that she had heard the other girl right. "I just got sent to an outpost to heal some men. I came in late. That's all." Sakura blurted, hoping it would be a believable excuse.

"O-oh. I see. Well I mean, I was glad to see you again this morning. There are rumors that four soldiers went missing and when you were missing too I was a little worried." Suki admitted. Sakura couldn't help but form a small smile with her lips at the unexpected concern of the Uchiha girl.

"That's nice of you. I'm okay though." Sakura admitted. She noted that it felt a little strange that Suki would assume that the two were related, but decided to just let it go. It was probably just a coincidence of assumption.

"That's good. Well, I'll be seeing you." Suki bid goodbye before rejoining some of the other workers that Sakura saw her working with often. This left Sakura alone to contemplate her words. If rumors were going around the castle that four men were missing, what would happen when they find out what happened to them? Would they find out? Sakura began to shudder at the thought. Does anyone really truly care? After all, Sasuke was the reason that those four men would never be returning again.

Sakura found her appetite had disappeared with the new wave of anxiety that she was beginning to feel. Taking a couple more small bites of her bread and soup, she discarded them in the trash, feeling herself beginning to sweat as she left the dining hall.

She was glad that the halls were mostly empty as everyone was breaking for their meal time, but as she turned towards the hospital wing, viridian eyes met onyx, causing Sakura to freeze in place as Sasuke stood in front of her, dressed unusually casual. Immediately she could feel the irritation that radiated from the Uchiha general, which only served to heighten the anxiety that she was already beginning to feel.

"Where do you think you are going?" Sasuke interrogated, his voice low and demanding. Even though Sakura knew that he would probably say something, it didn't stop her from almost jumping at the roughness of his voice.

"B-back to work!" Sakura replied, almost in a squeak, the hair on her nape standing on end at the harshness of his voice.

"Hn. Good." Sasuke grunted, moving towards the room she usually worked in and entering it without another word. This left Sakura slightly confused and curious as to what it was the man wanted.

It seemed as if time came to a standstill as her mind began to stir like crazy as to why Sasuke had come. She didn't realize that she had stood there like a statue until one of the guardsmen gave her a dirty look. Snapping to reality, she quickly ran into the room.

It wasn't until she entered the room, finding Sasuke sitting down with is eyes closed and an irritated scowl on his face that she began to ask what he was doing.

"Took you long enough." He snapped as Sakura stared at him.

"Sorry, I don't understand why you're here." Sakura replied, her voice shaky as she tried to compose herself.

Sasuke's scowl deepened before he spoke again. "Inform the guard you are closing the door for my privacy." He commanded gruffly. Sakura didn't say a word as she immediately did as he instructed. She told the guard exactly what Sasuke told her as she shut the door.

"I need you to examine my eyes." Sasuke demanded. Sakura's eyes widened with curiosity at the request, but immediately flashbacks of his red eyes from the night before invaded her mind, the fear she had experienced beginning to settle uncomfortably in her chest.

"What for?" Sakura asked, her throat all of a sudden feeling dry.

"Just do it." Sasuke snapped his eyes open, the familiar glare of his crimson red eyes burning into Sakura's viridian ones. Unsure of what he really wanted, or what she could do for him, she slowly settled herself closer to him, the familiar glow of green on her right hand as she shakily began to bring it to his eyes. The first thing she would do was at least examine them for anything she might find out of the ordinary, though she didn't know how 'ordinary' would be defined for such eyes.

As she inched closer however, Sasuke's hand immediately shot up, ensnaring her wrist in his iron-like grip as if in defense.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you." Sakura immediately quipped in defense, a frown settling on her face. In her mind she was most definitely irritated by his action and wanted to scoff at the irony of the fact that he would assume that she would do anything to him. This whole situation had always been the other way around, and Sasuke didn't ever hesitate to make that clear.

Sasuke said nothing in reply as he let her wrist go, his expression becoming stoic. Sakura continued slowly bringing her palms to hover a couple inches in front of the Uchiha's eyes as she began her assessment.

She had never seen anything like them. Though similar to normal eyes, they had an different flow of chakra through them and a much more complex network. How detailed did Sasuke's sight become with these?

"Are you finished?" Sasuke's abrupt question snapped Sakura back to reality from the questions she was asking herself.

"I don't see anything strange with them… but I don't know. I've never examined anything like it." Sakura admitted, as she withdrew her hand from Sasuke's face. The faint glow of green disappeared from her palms. Sasuke looked at her, as if gauging her reaction, though his expression remained stoic. "Are they… hurting?" Sakura finally asked, though she was hesitant to do so. She wasn't sure how Sasuke would react to such a question, especially since he seemed rather protective and untrusting with his eyes.

"No." Sasuke's answer was abrupt as he immediately stood from his seated position and headed for the door, opening it without a word and leaving. Sakura was left blinking in confusion at the whole situation that had transpired, but a burning feeling in her gut told her that Sasuke clearly didn't want to tell her the truth.

* * *

It had been a bad choice, Sasuke decided as he left a speechless Sakura behind in the medical room. Still, he had been curious as to what Sakura would have done about his eyes. Though she made no mention of anything being strange, she had accurately been right when she had asked him if they hurt. Had her examination caused her to come to that conclusion? His eyes had never been this sensitive for such a duration of time before, and though the pain had mostly subsided, it would still come and go. Usually, he would ask Madara such questions, but right now he felt that it was information best left disclosed.

He had immediately denied Sakura's correct assumption without missing a beat. Immediately he placed a wall between them. He was testing her skills, he told himself.

His eyes were not the only thing he had been curious about however. Deep down, Sasuke admitted that he had been curious as to what state she had been in, observing her every move as she interacted with him.

She had changed.

There was hesitation where there had not been before. He noticed the way that she jumped at the harshness of his tone, and the demands of his voice. Activating his Sharingan had indeed served more than one purpose. He immediately could tell that Sakura's own chakra levels were lower for the day, but he also noticed that there were no visible marks on her body, at least not where he or anyone else would see them.

It was clear that she intended to hide what had happened the night before. Part of him was even perplexed at the almost normal way that she carried herself, but then again, she had been nothing but strong in a sense since becoming his prisoner.

Who exactly was Sakura Haruno?

* * *

Sakura's eyes snapped open at the sound of a loud boom that seemed to shake the whole castle. She knew immediately was an explosion. In an instant reaction, her heart rate soared as she jumped out of bed, the other female workers also immediately startled from their sleep in shock. Panic would undoubtedly settle in shortly.

"Did you hear that?" One almost shrieked.

"What do you think it was?" Another asked.

It was pitch black, except for the dim light in the corner of the room. Sakura was desperately trying to adjust her eyes in the darkness, as the sound of another explosion rang through the air, this time eliciting screams as it sounded closer than the first and Sakura swore it felt as if the whole castle shook.

"What's going on?!" One frantically questioned.

"We need to get out of here!" Another one hurriedly suggested in a panic.

"I don't want to die!"

Immediately, Sakura heard scrambling as the other workers began to shuffle about. Her eyes were adjusted now, and for a moment Sakura was unsure of what to do as she watched the other females throw on clothes and shoes.

A couple soldiers came pounding on the door to their sleeping quarters.

"Out of bed!" A male's voice shouted. "You are to evacuate to the south end of the castle!"

Sakura could hear them scramble away.

"I can't believe this! The castle itself has never been attacked before!" One of the girl's shouted.

"Let's just do as that soldier said!" Another commanded.

Sakura immediately began to put on her shoes. Anything she wanted to say was caught in her throat as her mind immediately began to panic. She didn't realize that the sound of explosions would immediately send fear coursing through her very being. Suddenly the night her village was massacred began to ring in her head, the loud noises immediately sending panic through her as she began to sweat with anxiety. How many innocent lives are going to be lost in all this?

Everyone began to push their way out of the room. Soldiers ran by them as if they weren't even there, armed. They were rushing towards what Sakura assumed was the North end of the castle. Who had come to attack the Uchiha? She had heard the name Senju a few times since she had been here. Was it them? The clan that they had been warring with for a quarter of a century now?

Sakura could only follow the crowd of people as it seemed all the castle's personnel had gathered at the South entrance of the castle. Explosions and loud noises were ringing through the air at this point. Metal clanged with metal, ripping through the night sky in a high pitch, and Sakura could smell the familiar scent of a fire burning. Soldiers were stationed by them, but Sakura did not see anyone that resembled Sasuke or Madara. No, they would probably be at the front lines on the other end of the castle.

Questions were ringing through the air all at once, fear apparent in their words. Everyone was pushing and shoving. If Sakura didn't find a way to squeeze out of the giant mass of people, she was pretty sure that she was going to be squashed to death. Immediately different scenarios began to flash through her mind. Should she stay as instructed? Wait, what if she was able to use this scenario to get away? Would anyone notice? Then again, Sasuke would probably hunt her down. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of how that would end.

Suddenly a scream grabbed Sakura's attention.

"Look out!"

"They've broken through the front line!"

"Run for your life!"

There was a flash of light and a loud boom as Sakura felt herself launched from the ground, flying through the air as if she was weightless. Pain shot through her body as she hit the ground before going momentarily unconscious.

Sakura didn't know how long she had been out when suddenly her eyes snapped open, but the ringing in her ears was giving her a serious headache as her eyesight tried to adjust. Everything sounded muffled. The screams, the sound of metal, the sound of horse hooves, and feet hitting the ground.

Groaning, Sakura pushed herself up, her body feeling heavy.

People were running and screaming, others were on the ground, lifeless, and the stench of blood filled the air which made Sakura's stomach wrench in a tight knot, threatening to force what little contents of her stomach out.

This looked like the scene of her village, repeating itself.

The adrenaline began to kick in. She probably wasn't going to be able to hear very well for a while, and she felt a warm liquid begin to trickle down the side of her face, but right now she didn't have time to fix any of that.

Right now, she needed to survive.

Willing herself to stand up, she immediately began to look for something, anything that she could use as a weapon to defend herself.

She spotted a dead Uchiha soldier with a katana on the ground close by and immediately ran for it. She could hear the sound of a horse behind her as she willed her body to move faster in a panic. It was do or die, and a voice screamed in her head begging her to not die here.

She grabbed the sword, a small wave of relief washing over her as she immediately rose it in defense, turning on her heel to see who had been chasing her, ready to do her best to defend her own life. She had no experience with such a weapon, but she would not go down without a fight.

"I've found you!" A male voice sounded, as he pulled the horse to a stop while gracefully dismounting it at the same time. Sakura was immediately confused at his expression, but the fear rampaging in her body held the sword in defense. The man before her was clearly dressed in different armor and clothing, and he had dark blonde hair that was almost a yellow that spiked messily in different directions and cerulean eyes to match.

"Don't come closer! I will defend myself!" Sakura yelled shakily, maintaining her defense. Her whole being was shaking uncontrollably as she desperate fought the fear that threatened to consume her.

"Whoa. Hold up. I'm not going to hurt you." The blonde replied, almost nonchalantly as he put his hands up as if in defense. It was clear to Sakura that he was knowledgeable in the art of war considering the weapons he had strapped to his body, and the way that he carried himself.

"How do I know that? Who are you?!" Sakura demanded, stepping back slowly with the katana in her hand still pointed at the blonde before her.

"Look, I can give you all the details later, but you have to come with me." The blonde answered calmly.

"No! I have no reason to trust you!" Sakura spat back.

"Look, I know you are a prisoner here, and that your village was attacked. Come with me, and I promise we can keep you safe."

"I know who you are! You are from that Senju clan aren't you?!" Sakura accused.

"Well, technically, I'm not…" the blonde almost mused. "Look, you need to come now or-"

"Naruto!" A familiar deep voice growled. Sakura watched as Naruto jumped out of the way opposite of the direction of the voice calling his name, drawing his own Katana in defense as a familiar black figure and glow of crimson red flashed before her.

It was Sasuke!

"Ah crap. Was hoping I wasn't going to run into you." Naruto deadpanned.

"Is there something you find amusing?! I will kill you for this!" Sasuke seethed as he glared at the blonde, and then at Sakura. For a moment, a different expression flashed across his face that Sakura didn't recognize before it was quickly replaced by Sasuke's stoic expression. His eyes glowed with anger however.

"Sasuke! I'm taking Sakura with me! You and I both know this is wrong." Naruto argued, his stance defensive.

"I don't care what you think, Naruto!" Sasuke snarled as he lunged at Naruto, the metal of their katanas clashing rung through the air at the impact.

Sakura was frozen to the spot, her mind trying to process what was happening.

Who was this blonde man?! More importantly, how did he know her name?! Just how much did he know?!

Sakura watched as the two of them continued to exchange blows, her mind trying desperately to understand what on earth was going on, but seeming to fail miserably in doing so.

"Sasuke, I know what you think, but you need to open your eyes!" Naruto shouted. It was clear that one, these two knew each other, and two, there was some sort of a misunderstanding and disagreement going on between them. What was their story? Sakura couldn't fathom the idea of Sasuke knowing anyone outside of the Uchiha, not by the way he portrayed himself.

"It won't matter to me how much you spew out that nonsense! You have aligned yourself with death!" Sasuke threatened, once again swinging his Katana at the blonde.

Sakura felt as if she was frozen to the ground, her body unable to move as she clutched the katana in her hands. She watched the flurry of clashes between blonde and onyx. She watched as each landed blows on each other, blood flowing from the cuts that each had received, but neither seemed to notice.

"General!" A voice shouted.

The distraction was enough to cause both Naruto and Sasuke to stop for a moment to see who had dared to interrupt their duel.

"The castle is overrun! The King is demanding you come to his side at once!" The soldier informed.

It was the yelp of Sakura and the sound of a katana hitting the ground as Naruto yanked her up onto his horse that snapped Sasuke's attention back to them, confliction flashing in his eyes for a moment.

"I'm taking Sakura!" Naruto firmly declared.

"I won't allow it!" Sasuke growled in response, poised and ready to kill the horse, and kill the two that sat upon it.

"I don't think you have a choice, _General_." Naruto emphasized. "You can chase after me, but I know you won't!"

Viridian met with crimson red. Sakura could see the anger that flooded Sasuke's eyes, the want to kill her in the very spot she sat, the same look she had seen so many times. It terrified her very being, but for the first time her chest constricted in a foreign feeling as she also noticed something that was also embedded in Sasuke's crimson eyes - distress.

He did not say a word to her as Naruto spurred the horse into motion, beginning their retreat. Even if Naruto hadn't pretty much kidnapped her, she knew that she was going to take his offer anyway. All she had wanted since she had first been taken to this place was to get away and escape Sasuke and Madara.

Sakura wondered if she would ever see Sasuke again.

* * *

So... yeah. This chapter took me like over a month to write and complete. So, sorry about the wait! And it's still not even my best work! I am so sorry. I really struggled with how I wanted this chapter to go. While I know where the overall direction of this story is going, sometimes the little details that need to make it believable and seamless are so difficult to write! I've now re-read it several times, adding words, attempting to correct grammar, and trying to put myself in the reader's shoes.

I'm not sure that I was able to correctly convey the feelings that I wanted to.

Anyway, these first few chapters are really setting up the entire story, so I hope that from here on out, I will be able to capture your attention! This is not meant to be an easy journey for either Sakura or Sasuke, but they will both experience major character development.

Thanks for reading, and I would really appreciate it if you took the time to leave me a review. I do absolutely appreciate constructive criticism because I do my best to include those suggestions as I continue to write this story. The tips and questions I have already received has helped me tremendously! And I really appreciate your guy's encouragement!

I am starting to work on Chapter Four now, and hopefully you can expect the release of that chapter in a much shorter time!


	4. The Puzzle of History

Ah! I was so excited that I got reviews pretty quickly after I posted the last chapter! Thank you guys!

Some of them I can't answer because they are guest reviews, but nevertheless, don't think that I won't respond to you!

To guest who loved it: Thanks so much for reading and loving it! Haha, and in response to your update soon, guess what? There's already another update and it's been less than twenty four hours!

To guest who said more sasusaku: This fic is going to be a little bit of a slow burn, so I'm throwing this out there now. But trust me, there will be PLENTY of Sasusaku when it gets there. I'm pretty sure everyone likes a little drama, mwahahaha.

Expect this chapter to be a little more lighthearted. The first three were pretty dark and heavy.

As always, I need to shout the disclaimer of me not owning anything Naruto, or related… but I will put in a shameless plug of telling you to check out my oneshot series that is SasuSaku called Transcendence, or reading Under the Rising Spring which is also SasuSaku, multi-chapter, and complete.

* * *

 **Chapter IV:** The Puzzle of History

* * *

 _Fear in the unknown_

 _The safety of promises_

 _Embroiled in turmoil_

 _Their paths begin to sow_

* * *

There were no words to describe the behemoth of a mess that Sasuke felt inside at this moment. He controlled his exterior as always, stoic and emotionless, as he came to the side of Madara as he had demanded.

When Naruto had retreated with Sakura, the Senju also retreated, and now they would be left to deal with the aftermath.

In all their years of wars, neither side had dared a direct assault on the main homes of the clans, but it seemed that lines would continue to be crossed. First with Madara when he massacred the Haruno clan, and now with the Senju as they literally stole their prisoner…

 _No_. Sakura had _wanted_ to go with them. He saw the fear in her eyes, the same fear he had seen so many times when she looked at him. She was perhaps even more conflicted than he was, and he did nothing to stop her. Nothing to stop them.

For the first time, Sasuke felt as if everything he knew as truth needed to be questioned. His iron belief and loyalty he felt towards his king had been tainted by the smallest amount of uncertainty.

"Where have you been?" Madara stated flatly, his tone gave way to his obvious displeasure immediately.

"I was attempting to get the situation of the breach under control." Sasuke replied, as calmly as he could.

"Someone who knew the castle very well clearly orchestrated this attack." Madara stated, as both men watched soldiers and castle workers scramble in an effort to assess the severity of the overall damage to the castle and how many had lost their lives.

Sasuke said nothing in reply.

"What of our prisoner? I'm assuming this was an attack to distract us from their main objective. I knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before the Senju acted." Madara continue, ignoring the fact that Sasuke did not have an answer to his earlier statement. "This probably wouldn't of happened had she been dead."

"They took her." Sasuke answered, his voice firm, though he knew that was only a part of the truth. He did not know what compelled him to not answer his King honestly, and it was as if his mouth answered before the logic of his brain told him otherwise. He didn't like the last words that Madara had spoke in accusation.

Sasuke could tell that Madara was immediately displeased with his answer. He was prepared for Madara to direct all his anger at him, almost subconsciously embracing for it, but Madara unexpectedly played calm.

"I see. Well then, it seems that their ruse worked. No matter. It won't guarantee her life… that I will ensure." Madara threatened. "They will pay for their impudence…" Madara trailed off. "And so will you, Sasuke."

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time that Madara had ever threatened him, and it caused him to clench his right hand tightly, his nails digging into his palm, and the skin of his knuckles turning white. It was strange that he did not question him further. What games would Madara play at?

"I will show that I am worthy of being your General. Such a mistake will never happen again." Sasuke responded, his anger flaring. His actions were putting him in a bad predicament, and even more frustrating was the fact that he couldn't even understand why his actions betrayed his logic.

* * *

By the time Sakura realized that Naruto had brought the horse they rode to a slow trot, bright rays of the sun pierced the leaves of the trees, feeling her eyes strain at their intensity. She wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but clearly the blonde had done nothing to bother her in such a state.

Her head still hurt, but not nearly to the same degree as it had earlier, and Sakura could tell by the way her skin felt and the hair matted to the side of her face that the blood from the wound she had received earlier had dried and become stiff and crusty.

"You awake?" Came a familiar male voice. It belonged to Naruto, Sakura immediately recognized.

"Y-yeah. Where are we?" Sakura asked, as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes.

"Close to the Senju capital of Tobimura." Naruto replied. "That's where we are taking you."

Sakura suddenly remembered that she had many questions that she needed answers to from the blonde.

"You're going to answer my questions right?!" She asked, almost in a panic. Naruto gave a low chuckle.

"Take it easy. I promised I would if you came with me." he replied.

"More like you took me without permission." Sakura grumbled.

"Are you complaining?" Naruto retorted. Sakura paused for a moment to mull over her answer before finally replying.

"No." she finally admitted. "But I hope I'm not going to regret this."

"I don't think you will." Naruto countered confidently.

"Confident, aren't you?" Sakura mused.

"What can I say, confidence is what I do best."

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Sakura couldn't help but give a small smile, genuinely feeling the smallest amount of happiness, something she thought she had almost forgotten. There was something about Naruto that immediately made her feel at ease. His demeanor was quite different from his demeanor a few hours ago, and the flip flop of his personality was intriguing.

It was about another hour before they entered a large town, well settled and a place that Sakura had never before seen in her entire life.

Her village was a rural village, simple, plain, and small in comparison to the large capital of Tobimura. Residents flocked to the entrance, welcome the return of the Senju soldiers as if they were celebrities as Sakura stared in awe and confusion at their excitement.

"Welcome to Tobimura." Naruto announced, almost too happily.

"Is this where you live?" Sakura inquired, her tone reflecting her amazement.

"Well, I mean, sort of, I guess? I'm more of a traveller." Naruto admitted. "But I always find my way back to this place."

Naruto's answer only made Sakura more curious than she already was as to who exactly the blonde was.

"This place is beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before." Sakura observed.

The buildings seemed so foreign and futuristic to Sakura. The architecture was something she had never seen before, clean and crisp. She felt almost barbaric in comparison.

"The Senju take pride in advancing all areas of their life. They prefer expansion rather than tradition. One of the main differences between them and the Uchiha." Naruto noted.

It made sense. She had indeed been somewhat more familiar with Uchiha castle for the familiarity of it's traditional influences, and tradition was something that she felt Madara and Sasuke believed strongly in. However, was there anything wrong with tradition? There were many things about life, at least as far as Sakura had experienced, that tradition was important for.

"What's wrong with tradition? Do the Senju not believe in tradition?" Sakura questioned. They were well into the town now, and Sakura was once again curious as to where they were going, but kept herself distracted with questions.

"You really do ask a lot of questions." Naruto mused. "I'm not the best person to answer that particular question, however."

Sakura was disappointed at his answer, so she decided to change the subject.

"So when are you going to answer the questions I had for you earlier?" She demanded instead.

"Soon. I'm taking you to see the Senju's leader, Hashirama." Naruto replied. "He wants to meet you. After all, he agreed to rescue you."

"I still don't know that I've been rescued." Sakura retorted, causing the blonde to snort, as if amused.

"Well, I guess that's something you will have to define on your own."

A large building came into view, that Sakura could only assume was where this Hashirama that Naruto spoke of resided as he seemed to confirm her assumption as he commanded their horse to a full stop. Naruto hopped off nonchalantly, his feet hitting the ground with an audible thud before turning to Sakura and giving her a half grin and offering her his hand.

Sakura stared at it for a moment, not realizing that Naruto was confused as to why she had suddenly gone still.

"It's not like my hand is going to eat you." He joked, snapping Sakura out of her confusion.

"Sorry, I just was confused." She lied. She wasn't going to tell Naruto that his hand stretched out to her like that caused the memories of that night, and of Sasuke to immediately flood her mind. Why would she think of that? She wanted nothing more than to forget it, but it was as if his crimson red eyes and his outstretched hand while he sat on his horse that was equally as dark as he, was permanently etched into her memory.

Grabbing it, she allowed Naruto to help guide her off his horse, her feet hitting the ground with a quieter thud than Naruto's had.

Without a word, Naruto motioned for her to follow him into the massive building, and Sakura followed. She could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest with uncertainty.

She didn't have much time to pay attention to, or admire the inside of the building as Naruto quickly led her down different hallways before finally stopping before a door, and curtly knocking.

A muffled 'come in' sounded from the other side, in which Naruto immediately responded to by opening the door, motioning for Sakura to go inside before him.

A man sat inside, his hair dark like an Uchiha, and his eyes equally as dark. Sakura could feel herself begin to panic at the resemblance.

"Sakura Haruno?" He asked calmly. He was sipping on what Sakura could only assume was tea. His hair was worn down, long in length, and parted in the middle. His voice was deep, yet soothing.

"Yes, I am Sakura." she replied softly as she stood by the door in front of Naruto. The man motioned for her to come join him and sit down to which Sakura hesitantly did with a nudge from Naruto.

"I can tell you are uncomfortable. I apologize." Hashirama began as Sakura sat down. Sakura felt almost embarrassed to be meeting anyone in the state that she was in, suddenly remembering that she was completely covered in dirt, probably smelled,and had dried blood on her body.

"I am Hashirama Senju," the man began. "I suppose you can call me the leader or ruler of the Senju."

"Naruto said that you were looking for me." Sakura began. Hashirama nodded.

"Well, yes. Naruto was the one who found out that the Uchiha had taken you from your…" He paused for a moment as if contemplating how best to word the rest of his sentence. "Home." he finished. Sakura glanced at the blonde behind her who chose to stand, almost as if on guard.

"Naruto said that I would be safe here." Sakura questioned further. "What guarantee do I have of that?"

"Sakura, you won't be a prisoner here." Hashirama answered, clearly sensing her panic of the unknown. "In fact, there is someone else who desperately wants to meet you." Sakura's eyes widened, suddenly curious that there was someone who was eager to meet her.

"Who?" Sakura pressed.

"Me." This time a female voice answered Sakura's question, causing all three persons in the room to look at the door in which a blonde woman stood, her eyes brown with a large bosom and an almost skeptical look on her face.

"I am Tsunade, Hashirama's granddaughter." She introduced, entering the room. Her heels clacked against the floor with every step that she took towards them. Sakura immediately stood up.

"H-hi." Sakura greeted. "I'm Sakura Haruno."

"I know." Tsunade replied. "And we, Sakura. Are two of a kind."

"You can heal, like me?" Sakura inquired. The blonde woman nodded.

"Yes, and more."

Their conversation was stopped as Hashirama cleared his throat, causing both women and Naruto to look his way.

"Like I said, Sakura, you are not a prisoner here. I want to leave you in Tsunade's care." Hashirama continued. "I promise, we will do our best to answer all of your questions."

Silence filled the room for a moment, as if everyone was waiting to hear what Sakura's answer would be.

"Okay." Sakura finally answered. "Then, I guess thank you… for bringing me here that is."

"You should thank Naruto." Hashirama deflected.

"No need to thank me." Naruto shrugged. "Just doing what I felt was right."

That reminded Sakura that she still had a lot of questions for Naruto, one's that she was determined to get answers to.

"Well, I think the first order of business is getting you cleaned up, Sakura. Like I said, my granddaughter will take care of you, if that's what you want." Hashirama concluded. Sakura nodded.

"I appreciate your kindness."

Without another word, the three of them bowed to the Senju leader before leaving the room.

* * *

Even three days later, Sasuke felt no less frustrated than he did after the Senju attack on their castle transpired. In fact, he was beginning to feel more at unrest. Madara seemed to be putting distance between them, and it felt as if his own soldiers were beginning to scoff at him for his failure. There were sure to be all sorts of rumors flying around the castle at this point.

Sasuke Uchiha however, was _not_ a failure. Sasuke Uchiha was ruthless, strong, capable, and precise.

Yet recently, it seemed that he had not been those things at all, and it only fueled the contention in his mind. He would say heart, but did he really have one? The way that he killed on command, took lives, and trusted no one except for Madara… yet this feeling in gut told him that something was not right. That he did not agree with something although he knew nothing different.

He had to cast aside his weaknesses. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to be what Madara believed him to be, there was no room for weakness. He had to become stronger, and his anger, his hatred, that made him stronger.

Sasuke found himself heading to the training room, hoping that it would help release some of his frustration, and possibly set his mind straight.

When he neared the training room however, it was obvious that Madara was already in there, training. Madara had not spoken to him since Sasuke had told him that Sakura had gotten away and escaped. It made him wonder if it was better for him to avoid him, but jsut as Sasuke was debating on what he should do, Madara called for him.

"Come spar with me, Sasuke." Madara commanded. Without a second thought, Sasuke did as his King commanded, entering the training room without a word.

"You've clearly been distracted. I've seen it for a while now. Care to tell me about them?" Madara began, waiting for Sasuke to spar.

"It is nothing to be concerned about. I have it under control. It will not happen again." Sasuke answered, hoping that Madara would be satisfied and not press him further, however that was a wishful want.

"I am concerned." Madara countered. "Have you forgotten everything I have taught you?!" He accused. Sasuke frowned.

"No. Never." He replied firmly. Sasuke gripped his Katana, Kusanagi tightly as he moved into his fighting stance.

"Are you not my ruthless General? Would you allow yourself to be mocked?!" Madara pushed. "Would you bring shame to me?!"

"No! I would not. I am an Uchiha." Sasuke reasoned. He made the first lunge at Madara, who countered his attack easily.

"If you are an Uchiha then, have you forgotten our hate? Our mission?" Madara continued.

"I have not." Sasuke replied, repelling an attack from Madara's war fan.

"Then let anger be your strength. You swore to help me achieve my goals."

"And I will." Sasuke confirmed.

"You have no place for bonds, for weakness. Your duty is to me. Your duty is to obtain power." Madara pushed. Sasuke could feel the anger welling in his chest at the doubt and questions Madara now placed upon him.

" I do not have bonds." Sasuke hissed, but Madara completely ignored his response.

"And to make sure of that, I am going to command you to kill Naruto and Sakura." Madara stated coldly, causing Sasuke to falter as he barely dodged Madara's attack. How had he known about Naruto?!

"The surprised expression on your face tells me everything that I need to know, Sasuke." Madara scoffed. "Clearly, you didn't think that I was aware of your bond you continue to have with that boy from the Uzumaki clan."

It was obvious to Sasuke that Madara clearly distrusted him more than he would ever assume. "On a continued note, it was that blonde who was the mastermind behind this whole operation in the first place. Now tell me, Sasuke, how has your bond served you now?"

The shock of this news affected Sasuke more than he thought it would, and immediately he felt the anger of Naruto's betrayal begin to take root in his emotions. He had always tolerated him, believing him to be living his own life, even respecting the warnings that Naruto would give him, but to think that he would go so far as to conspire with the Senju was something else. Wouldn't Naruto have kept his boundaries better, considering that it was him who had risked to give Naruto his freedom in the first place?!

"If it will prove my loyalty to you, then I will hunt them down down and kill them with my bare hands." Sasuke seethed.

"Will you? Will you hunt them down Sasuke, and cast out your weakness?" Madara interrogated. "Will you kill that wretched woman who has caused your infatuation?"

"I told you then, and I will tell you now, that I have no such feelings towards such a woman." Sasuke denied flatly. His breathing was heavy with frustration and anger. Madara smirked.

"Good. Then I guess prove it to me." he taunted. Sasuke ground his teeth. "Because you have shown that woman mercy and given her empty threats."

"I will." He ground out, before moving to pick up his katana that he had tossed aside in anger and stomping out of the training room.

This whole situation was about to get worse, and Sasuke knew that he was losing any semblance of control he thought he had.

He would allow himself to be distracted no more. Madara was right. Bonds were weakness, and everything that had happened up until this point was proof of that. Proof that bonds ended in betrayal, and feelings were a distraction. He had to end those distractions. After all, death was what Sasuke was best at.

* * *

It took a couple days before Sakura felt that Hashirama had meant that she was not a prisoner, but she had come to learn that he meant just that.

Everywhere she went, people were kind to her, and treated her like a person. No one shied away from her pink hair, and for the first time in a long time, she felt welcome, and safe.

Naruto had taken off pretty quick after their meeting with Hashirama, promising to answer her questions soon, but that there was something that he immediately had to tend to. He was gone before Sakura could even ask him questions about that something, but she had a feeling that Naruto would be back. Something in her gut told her not to worry.

Tsunade however, was a little bit of a different story. While Tsunade was kind, she was also distant, almost as if all business.

Sakura had agreed to let Tsunade train her in her healing abilities, but she didn't know just how hard it would be.

By day three, she was exhausted.

"What are we learning today?" Sakura asked, following Tsunade closely. Tsunade had told her that they were going to train outside the town today to which Sakura had been confused with. They had spent the last few days reading, and healing more minor injuries.

"Something very important for someone like you and me." Tsunade indirectly answered. Sakura had to stop the urge to roll her eyes at her answer.

After what seemed like an eternity longer of hiking, Tsunade stopped.

"This is good enough." She stated.

Sakura was further confused, wondering what they were doing all the way out here.

"Sakura, for people like you and me, anywhere we go will never be truly safe." Tsunade stated.

"Not even here?" Sakura questioned, already concerned as to what Tsunade was getting at.

"I hate to admit it, but yes." she replied.

"Do you know why you are the only one in the Haruno clan with powers?" Tsunade asked. Sakura shook her head.

"No." she responded. "My father would never talk about it really, and neither would any of the villagers."

"It's because everyone who had healing powers were killed." Tsunade answered, causing Sakura's eyes to widen with disbelief.

"W-what to do you mean?"

Tsunade sighed.

"I knew your mother. The Haruno clan was well known for their abilities back in the day. Probably in the time of your great great grandfather. They were often hired out by either the Senju or the Uchiha. However, all the warring caused many of them to lose their lives. Over the years, less and less had the ability to use healing chakra, and it inevitably disappeared altogether."

"Wait," Sakura began, "You knew my mother?"

"I did. She was a good woman."

"I know." Sakura trailed off.

"Sakura, focus. Look, like I was saying, people like you and me need to be very careful." Tsunade continued, but another question that suddenly burned in the back of Sakura's mind made her interrupt the blonde woman.

"Wait, but if you are a Senju, how can you-"

Tsunade looked irritated about Sakura's outburst, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Let's just say that the Senju have a special ability for learning things. I was not gifted the ability to heal, I learned them." Tsunade answered quickly. "And so to continue what I was going to say, there is something I need to teach you to protect yourself."

Sakura stared at the blonde woman for a moment, trying to understand everything that she had just learned.

Without a word though, Tsunade turned, giving off a concentrated grunt as he punched the ground behind her with her bare hands. Sakura for a moment thought the woman was crazy until suddenly the ground in front of the blonde cracked, as if an earthquake had hit causing the pinkette to almost shriek in disbelief.

"H-h-how did you do that?!"

"That's what I want to teach you. As you know, a medic is never ever supposed to be on the front lines of anything." Tsunade began, as Sakura nodded, still in disbelief of what she just saw Tsunade do with her bare hands. "However, it doesn't mean that a time wont come when that might be necessary, and when it does, you need to know how to protect yourself." All Sakura could do was nod with her mouth agape, still in disbelief.

"So you're saying I can learn how to do that?" Sakura finally asked. Tsunade nodded.

"Yes. And if you work hard, I will teach you." Tsunade affirmed.

For the first time, Sakura felt like she had a way to become the strong person that she thought she needed to be.

Naruto had indeed kept his promise when he said that he would be back and would visit Sakura again when he had finished taking care of the things he said needed his attention.

"I see you've been adjusting just fine." Naruto teased as the two of them sat in the courtyard of the building that Sakura had been placed in. It was strange to see Naruto in his own civilian clothes for the first time, and it seemed obvious that he liked the color orange with his orange jacket and black pants. He still carried his weapon around however, as if always on guard. Sakura didn't know why, but immediately the thought came that she noticed Sasuke did the same thing when she first saw him in casual clothes, but kept that observation strictly to herself. In fact, she hadn't thought of him much until now since everyday had flooded her with new things she had never known.

"Well, you were right, so far." Sakura admitted, sipping on her drink.

"I did promise to answer your questions." Naruto answered. "And well, I'm a man of my word, you know." he was scratching the back of his head, which caused Sakura to raise an inquisitive eyebrow to. Was he nervous?

"Well, first I want to know why you took off so quick." Sakura questioned. The blonde's face contorted in a weird way as if he was trying to figure out how to answer such a basic question.

"Well I promised this girl that I'd go see her. I haven't seen her in a few months." Naruto admitted.

"Wait, like your girlfriend?" Sakura asked, as if in disbelief.

"What?! No. No, no no. We are just friends. I don't think that she wants to be more than that, since she's from a fancy clan and all. I'm a nobody as far as that type of thing goes." Naruto denied.

"Huh. Okay." Sakura shrugged her shoulders. She guessed that answer was good enough. It's not like was going to pry into Naruto's personal business. They might get along okay, but they weren't that comfortable.

"So, your questions?" Naruto inquired, who began eating a meat kebob as if he didn't care who was watching.

"How did you know about me? I mean like… I don't… you know… Sasuke he…." Sakura had so many questions, she didn't even know where to start, and now that Naruto was offering her the chance to ask anything she wanted, all of the questions she had thought of became a jumbled mess.

"Okay, okay, I think I get the jist of where this is all going." Naruto joked, eating the last of his meat, taking a big gulp before continuing to talk.

"So, I'm not technically Senju, I'm obviously not an Uchiha," Naruto began, his joke terrible, "but I am a mercenary of sorts you can say. My clan… well my clan doesn't really exist anymore. And any of us that do exist are scattered."

"Okay. So that's about you…" Sakura trailed off, trying to hint at the fact that, that wasn't what she was asking, although she was interested in Naruto's back story.

"Well, it's kinda important so you know how I know about you." Naruto explained. Sakura immediately could tell that Naruto wasn't exactly the best with getting to the point with detail. "Anyway, since I do mercenary work, I kinda just travel from place to place and do my own thing. I get left alone for the most part." Naruto pointed to his Katana, as if silently relaying that he was rather good at using it. Considering that he seemed to hold his own against Sasuke just fine, it was probably true.

"So, then how to did you learn about my clan?" Sakura asked.

"Well, my clan was once part of the free clans, you know?" Naruto added. "But mostly, I just heard the rumors. I warned Sasuke that this wouldn't end well." Naruto sighed. Sakura was suddenly confused by his last words.

"Wait, you told Sasuke this would happen?!" Sakura almost yelled, however she immediately felt a hand against her mouth as the blonde gave her a serious look and a shushing motion with the other hand.

"It's best that you don't exactly yell his name out loud." Naruto warned quietly.

"What exactly is the deal between you two anyway?!" Sakura inquired.

"Oh that?" Naruto asked, looking at her as if she had grown two heads. "We are childhood friends, that's all."

Sakura could tell that was far from the whole story.

"Okay, but that's not the whole story, I know it isn't." she pressed, causing the blonde to give her a curious look.

"Why do you want to know?" Naruto inquired, as if weirded out by her curiosity.

"It's just… you are so… I don't know? Loud, friendly? He's…" Sakura trailed off, not sure what word to use to correctly describe him, because pretty much none of them were good.

"Sasuke didn't always use to be that way, you know?" Naruto replied quietly. "Honestly, it's best you don't get in the middle of this."

As much as Sakura wanted to press Naruto further for answers, she would respect what he wanted, for now. Not to mention, that he was probably right.

"Okay, then about me?" Sakura continued.

"I just heard a rumor. I told the Senju about it. I know Tsunade can help you. It was just the right thing to do, that's all." Naruto answered, as if nonchalant.

"That doesn't explain how you knew where I was, or how to get me."

"Well, you can thank our strategist for that… but I mean if you were taken prisoner, where else would you be besides their main base of operations? Especially with your abilities." Naruto reasoned. Well, at least there was a brain in that blonde's head.

Sakura decided that she was satisfied with his answers about her, but the questions about him and Sasuke, they were burning inside her. As if Naruto could read her face, he sighed.

"You're not going to leave _that_ topic alone, are you?"

"I… no." Sakura finally admitted.

"For someone who probably suffered horror after horror there, you are dangerously curious." Naruto concluded. "I guess I can tell you, if it will give you some sort of closure to move on… but we can't talk about it here. Wanna go for a ride? I promise you are safe with me." Naruto offered. Sakura nodded.

"I believe that."

About a half hour later, Sakura found herself on the outskirts of Tobimura, by a small river. It seemed peaceful and quiet, and the sunset was gorgeous.

Sakura sat on the bank while Naruto secured their horse before he sat down beside her, setting his katana gently beside him.

"So, what did you mean… that Sasuke hasn't always been that way?" Sakura asked quietly, starting up a conversation.

"Sasuke was a kid like any other kid." Naruto replied. "He had loving parents. I know, because my parents were friends with his parents."

"Had?" Sakura questioned, catching the past tense of Naruto's words.

"Yeah. They were murdered, along with everyone else that possessed the sharingan." Naruto answered.

"The sharingan?" Sakura once again asked, not knowing what that was.

"His red eyes." Naruto answered. "Those are what gives him his deadly powers. He's already very skilled with a weapon, but those only amplify his skills, along with other things."

"Are you saying he is the only one who can use them?"

"No. Not entirely. Madara can too… but they're the only two. The rest of the Uchiha do not have the gene or ability to manifest them. They were only carried by certain lineages of the Uchiha."

"So… then what happened?" Sakura inquired.

"Well, Madara took him in… since Sasuke had the same trait, he felt that he could be his successor. Madara can't have any offspring of his own, and if he were to have any offspring with someone who did not possess the genes to manifest the sharingan, there would be no guarantees that he would get offspring who inherited it."

"So, it was easy to take Sasuke?"

"Well, he has been raising Sasuke since he was five."

"Then what about you guys?"

"Believe it or not, Madara used to be kinder than he was now." Naruto answered, causing the pinkette to look at him in disbelief as if she knew he was lying straight to her face.

"For a while, Madara took me in too."

"So you grew up with Sasuke?"

"Till I was about ten, but then…" Naruto trailed off. "Izuna was killed, by Hashirama's little brother, Tobirama."

"Who's Izuna?" Sakura asked, unsure of what the connection between all these names were.

"Izuna is… Madara's late little brother… and Sasuke looks a lot like him."

"So… that's why Madara keeps Sasuke close?" Naruto nodded.

"Yes, but it doesn't end there. Madara he… he became obsessed with revenge. He became cold, ruthless… Sasuke he… he helped me escape when things got really bad."

Sakura was shocked at Naruto's confession. "So… you feel you owe him something?"

"It's not so much that as much as it is that I won't turn my back on people I care about. Madara got his revenge, by killing Tobirama himself, along with Sasuke. Even with his revenge though, it didn't stop his hatred. It's been fifteen years, and Sasuke has been manipulated and controlled by that man for all those years. That darkness… that hate… I don't think that he knows anything outside of it, and I haven't figured out how to help him yet."

Sakura and Naruto fell into silence as Sakura tried to process everything that Naruto had just revealed to her. For the first time, she was seeing Sasuke in a different way, and a pang of pity grasped her heart, but really it was just confirmation of the things that she thought she was falsely picturing Sasuke as.

Deep down, there is a part of Sasuke that is not who the Sasuke is now.

"You said… you warned him?" Sakura continued quietly.

"I did. I always do. I know Hashirama doesn't like it, but…"

"You are hoping you can somehow get through to him eventually?"

"No, it's not that. I can tell that he's been having an internal struggle. I saw it the most this last time I saw him while he was tending to the occupation of your village…" Naruto paused. "And it was also obvious when I took you away from him. He hesitated and let me and you go…" Naruto paused once again, as if contemplating if he should say something else or not but decided to anyway. "And it seems that you are somehow related to that hesitation!" He stated as if it was a matter of fact, but also a poor joke that caused a look of absolute mortification on Sakura's face. She was quickly finding that Naruto had a hard time keeping anything serious.

Was he insinuating that Sasuke was attached to her in some way?!

"Nu-uh, nope. No way. He's… no… I…." Sakura could not form a single coherent sentence, to which she convinced herself was the result of the absolutely ridiculous assumption Naruto had made. Naruto was snickering, causing the pinkette to punch him straight in the arm. He reacted by yelping in pain, rubbing the sore spot.

Deep down though, Sakura knew that he was right… and she was absolutely terrified to admit it.

* * *

"You called for me?" Sasuke stated, entering Madara's study.

"I did. We are going to launch a counterattack." Madara announced, his tone indicating the seriousness of his intent.

"We were hit too hard last time." Sasuke rebuked, despite knowing that Madara would not like his opposal to the idea, but cold hard logic was cold hard logic.

"Since I already knew that to be your answer, I won't take it as your defiance." Madara mused, reminding Sasuke of the thin ice he found himself placed upon.

"What is it you plan to do then?" Sasuke inquired. He typically did not argue or care of what Madara wanted him to do, but something in his gut told him that this was going to be a similar situation to the massacre of the Haruno clan, a similar situation to the very first time that he ever questioned Madara's intentions.

"Clearly we cannot just create more Uchiha out of thin air…" Madara began. "So, it means that we must acquire soldiers by other means."

Sasuke already knew what Madara was intending to do.

"Acquiring soldiers will not guarantee their loyalty." Sasuke informed his King, who immediately glared at Sasuke, his crimson eyes shining in the promise of death should he say one more thing that he did not want to hear.

"You mean like those men who kidnapped that woman, or you who let her go?" He snarled in reply.

"A grave error in my judgement." Sasuke replied firmly, "I will do what you asked without fail."

"Indeed. How has your results in that been so far?" Madara inquired, changing the subject briefly.

"Sakura is in the Senju capital, that I am sure of. Naruto is known to frequent there, but his other movements are unknown. He does not stay in one place, but I'm aware of ways to lure him out." Sasuke replied.

"Well, I guess I will be satisfied to witness you fulfill your promise." Madara conceded. "However, before that, I think it's time that we start our campaign. The time of free clans will be no more. We want men and young boys. I will be merciful enough to spare their wives and children so long as they are willing to pledge their loyalty to me. All those who oppose me however, will be slaughtered. I have no room for such trivial rebels."

Sasuke wondered if Madara really meant what he said about sparing those who would pledge loyalty to him. He knew very well the scheme he employed before.

"I will make sure that we are ready to march on your command." Sasuke answered.

Once this campaign began, Sasuke knew that there would be innumerable deaths and bloodshed, and he knew that his hands and Kusanagi would be stained with it.

It was late into the night by the time Sasuke retired to his quarters. He had immediately began preparations for the upcoming battles.

He had been practicing with his eyes more, straining them. It had been clear to him the night that the Senju attacked that he was not as powerful as he had thought. He had become complacent at a point when his reputation was all he needed, when all he needed was to just merely be much quicker than the average soldier, the average man.

Sasuke's eyes were stinging with that familiar ache that came with the use of his Sharingan. He lay on his bed, eyes closed, controlling his breathing, controlling his thoughts.

Those green eyes, that pink hair, he needed to forget them… _she_ was making him weak.

His weakness angered him, and once again he resolved to sever anything that made him weak.

* * *

Ever since Sakura had sat at the bank of the river, talking to Naruto, she found herself curious about both the history of the Senju and the Uchiha. The two clans had been at war for such a long time, that there had to be such a history between them. She understood what fueled Madara's hate to an extent, and Hashirama's need to continue to protect his people. However, this was a war that clearly began far before these two had ever become the leaders of their respective clans.

Would learning their histories change anything though?

Sakura's attention was so consumed by her book, that she did not realize that someone had managed to sneak up on her until a masculine voice startled her from her thoughts.

"Interested in our history, are you?"

Sakura's head immediately whipped to see Hashirama as she jumped in slight surprise.

"Oh, um… yes." Sakura admitted. "Sorry it's just…"

"You don't have to be sorry. Though, I might be able to tell you just as much as any history book could." Hashirama lightly conversed, sitting on a chair opposite of the pinkette. In response, Sakura closed her book, the pages making an audible poof as they closed upon each other.

"I didn't know much about the Uchiha… or the Senju until… now." Sakura confessed.

"Well, it's not a concern of the free clan, and never has been until now, I'm afraid." Hashirama answered calmly. "But I have a suspicion that it was Naruto who really sparked your interest."

Sakura at first was unsure of how to respond, but she knew that honesty with this man would be best. "Yes." she finally admitted.

"Naruto… he's headstrong, and stubborn…" Hashirama began. "And most people would consider him an absolute fool."

"Do you?" Sakura asked.

"No… I don't." Hashirama conceded. "It is why I allow him to do as he pleases, however…" he paused. " I am not entirely sure if Sasuke could be saved. I'm not sure how anything could or would change."

"I think if anyone had a chance for change, it would be Sasuke." Sakura boldly admitted, immediately regretting saying such a thing when a surprised and curious expression crossed the Senju's face. He chuckled.

"That's exactly what Naruto says." he mused. "Indeed as you can tell, the history between the Senju and Uchiha are complex. Sometimes I'm not even sure if any of us really remember why we started fighting in the first place."

"Then why does it continue?" Sakura asked, as if the answer to the question was obvious. Hashirama sighed.

"It continues from the same reason that it always has: hate and revenge. I would like to say that this war has always been one sided hate, or revenge that was initiated by only one party, but it hasn't. I had hope for Madara once, I thought that he would be the one that could finally bring us peace… but then…"

"Izuna died." Sakura finished, having heard some of this story from Naruto. Hashirama nodded.

"Yes. Madara loved his younger brother. He and Izuna shared many of the same ideals… I wish I could say that my younger brother shared the same ideals that I did." Hashirama confessed.

"But Tobirama didn't, and in one of your many battles, he killed Izuna… and Madara wanted revenge."

"He did… and revenge he got… but it led him down a dark path that he has never been able to return from."

"And Sasuke… he's lost in it too." Sakura trailed off. "But the hate, it comes from both sides."

"It does, and so the cycle repeats itself."

"Aren't you willing to stop it?" Sakura inquired.

"One side alone cannot. I do what is necessary to protect my people, and to protect those that are innocent… but my own hands are not free of bloodshed."

"Naruto, he can't stop it on his own either." Sakura argued.

"No, he cannot, but he is one piece of many in a puzzle that could." Hashirama insinuated before looking as if he realized he had something he needed to tend to. "Forgive me, I don't think I told you anything you probably wanted to hear as far as the history of our clan goes."

"It's okay. Thank you for talking to me." Sakura replied.

Hashirama gave her a nod before disappearing from the library in which he found her reading her book.

Did Hashirama mean that she could be an instrumental piece to that puzzle along with Naruto?

* * *

I know that this chapter probably felt like a little bit of a filler, but it was really needed to help spur all the important events that are going to take place.

Yes, I am aware that to some people this may have seemed a little NaruSaku, but no, there will be no love triangle. Their friendship is strictly platonic, and modeled like a brother-sister relationship. I love writing carefree Naruto, but there is a seriousness to him too.

To those wondering who the girl was that Naruto visited, go ahead and give me your guesses, but I promise that it's going to be rather obvious.

Please give me your thoughts on this chapter. It really helps me feel like you want to continue to read this story, and I always appreciate fair constructive criticism. I am doing my best to not create any plot holes, but that can get really difficult sometimes! I keep all the major things in bullet points, but it doesn't always keep me from missing inconsistencies in small details.

Thank you so much for reading! I know that this update was really quick, but it will probably be a little while before the next one! Especially if I don't feedback from you guys.


	5. The Path of Action

Okay, okay. Before I get started on this chapter, I just have to geek out a little bit about this week's episode of Boruto. Yes, I am one of those people who watches the anime (mostly in hopes of SasuSaku, let's be real).

This last episode really gave a tiny snippet of the potential that Boruto has. I've read so many complaints and blah blah blah about the show, and how it's a total (and poorly redone) Naruto all over again, but in my opinion, it's not. I also keep up with the Manga (though am far less impressed by it… mostly the art bothers me) and the manga just now has really started to sort of diverge from what could be considered parallel to Naruto. Also, for us older folks who were kids when Naruto first began serialization, it's seriously so cool to see some of our favorite characters grown up.

Like there were several great parts of the last episode. Sasuke saves Sarada and tells Kinshiki not to touch his daughter or he will shave his horn off some more, or Naruto and Sasuke teaming up to defend their home, and the ending flashback and Boruto realizing just how much of a badass his dad is. Like seriously, I got hit with some serious feels. Like asdlhfowerwenhfoiefnl!

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave me a review! I really appreciate it! Most people logged in, so I only have one guest review to answer!

 **To Guest Reviewer who Likes my Story** : Bro! Thanks for the review! When it comes to the attack, you will have to read and find out. As far as Sakura and Sasuke meeting in secret, you will have to also read and see. I just can't give out too many details. Don't worry. There are going to be plenty of SasuSaku only scenes, and I am hoping they won't disappoint! There will be plenty of kissing, touching, healing, etc between the two in the future! So I hope you will continue to enjoy the story until then! Thanks for reading!

 **To Guest Reviewer BoomXxBahh:** Ohmygosh! Thanks so much for your review! Haha, yes, everyone who has taken a guess has gotten it right, lol. Yes, I definitely wanted to include parallels, and there will still be more parallels in the future. I can't give too much away though. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own the awesomeness that is Naruto or anything related.

* * *

 **Chapter V** : The Path of Action

* * *

 _Diverging paths and choices_

 _The will of fire_

 _The darkness that consumes_

 _Turmoil and conflict_

* * *

Dread.

That was the only feeling that Sakura felt as it consumed every other emotion she had.

It was something that she was not meant to hear, she knew, but being a guest of Hashirama himself had left Sakura the freedom of his home, the freedom to explore, but also the possibility to get entangled in whatever it was that he discussed so seriously with his generals and Naruto.

Sakura wouldn't of even given the voices a second thought if it wasn't for the familiar voice of the blonde that she had heard just as she was passing by the closed conference room.

More blood.

More death.

The Uchiha had occupied yet another of the free clans, and this time had taken many of their men as prisoners, young and old, though the details of why were not yet known.

There was however, some small relief in hearing that it seemed that the village hadn't just been slaughtered like hers.

What were the Uchiha planning?

"So from what you observed, most the women and children are alive?" One voice asked.

"Yes." Another voice replied. Sakura knew that it was Naruto's. "Though I know not all of them were spared. I am not sure what it is they are planning."

"We, the Senju outnumber them at least three men to one, is it possible that they are trying to grow their ranks?" Another voice asked.

"It is," Naruto conceded, "However, if that's the case then we should definitely err on the side of caution."

"That's two villages now that Madara and his General have occupied. I think we should take strongly this as a act of war to mean that he will move to conquer all the free villages."

"That is probably a fair assumption." This time, Sakura recognized the voice to be Hashirama's himself.

"This changes everything. This war is not just ours, it's theirs! This could lead to all out chaos between all the known lands!" One exclaimed.

"Shouldn't we try to stop them?" Another suggested.

"Even if we were to try to stop them, there is no guarantee the free clans would accept our aid. They may look at us as enemies all the same." Hashirama deliberated.

"Yes, but Hashirama, we can't just sit by!" It was Naruto who spoke this time. "Those are defenseless people!"

"Shut your mouth, Uzumaki! You might be here as a source of intel, but you are not an advisor!" A deep voice snapped.

"Calm down, Hiruzen. Naruto is my guest, and he has done good work for us, so I would appreciate it if you do not talk to him in such a manner." Hashirama reprimanded. "I will consider this for a while. We will talk about it again later this evening… Naruto, a word, please."

It was at that point that Sakura had been listening to this whole conversation by far longer than she should have, and heard more than she should of and in a panic at realizing that everyone would be vacating the room, she dashed off in the direction of the library, unsure of how to feel or think. All she knew was she had been filled with dread as the glow of crimson eyes belonging to a certain Uchiha flashed through her mind.

As she tried to calm herself in the library with a book, her heart thundering in her chest, and her mind racing uncontrollably, Naruto's voice greeting her made her jump in surprise, causing the pinkette to drop her book.

Staring at him as if unable to move, Sakura watched as he bent down to pick up the book, a small grin on his face as he handed it back to her. Sakura noticed that he was dressed similar to the day that she had first met him.

"You are a poor eavesdropper." He noted, causing the pinkette to immediately flush with embarrassment at being found out.

"W-what are you talking about?" Sakura nervously asked, trying to brush off his assumption.

"Your pink hair. I could see it at the crack of the door." Naruto replied nonchalantly. "You were listening in on the meeting." For a moment, an awkward silence fell between them, and Sakura knew that it would probably be no use lying to the blonde.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I just-" Sakura began. How much trouble would she be in for this?

"So, how much did you hear?" Naruto questioned, clearly amused at the flustered state of his pink haired friend. For a second she looked at him as if unsure of what he had just asked her, or as if she had heard him wrong. It was obvious that she was expecting something entirely different in response to her snooping.

"Enough probably." Sakura answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So the gist of it then?" Naruto questioned further. Sakura nodded.

"I think so…" she trailed off, pausing for a moment. Should she ask Naruto about Sasuke? She didn't know why, but her curiosity to his involvement in the Uchiha's last crusade made her wonder about him.

"Do you think about him?" Naruto asked, his question about catching the pinkette off guard, as if he had read her mind. Why on earth would he ask her that?! Sakura turned to him, trying to understand the reason behind such a question, but the expression on his face was serious.

"Sometimes, I guess." Sakura replied, shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal. "There are just… some things that I can't forget." Sakura finally admitted, averting her gaze from the blonde.

"Well…" Naruto began.

 _Watching from afar was never Naruto's favorite thing to do... but he knew his place in things. Even if every fiber of his being was begging him to go down there, to defend the helpless people below who were screaming with fear at the onslaught of Uchiha that swarmed the village, ripping people - men, women, and children alike from their homes into the street and rounding them up as if they were cattle._

 _The way they were treated was everything but the word humane._

 _He knew that this time there would probably be no meeting with Sasuke, not that the Uchiha would want to see his face again anytime soon anyway. The last stunt he had pulled was probably enough to lose all chances with his old friend…_

 _But, he had to._

 _He knew very well that the Uchiha did not take prisoners, and was very aware of their ruthlessness himself._

 _However, Sasuke had kept her alive… showed her some ounce of compassion that he had once did for him._

 _Naruto couldn't quite make out what was going on, but the behavior being displayed seemed completely odd. Why were they lining them up?_

 _It wasn't long before he spotted Madara, and Sasuke following not to far behind._

 _For the first time, Naruto felt truly guilty. All these years, and he still hadn't been able to find a way to save his friend. All the training, all the learning, all the wounds and battles… and he still hadn't done what he had set out to do._

 _Naruto continued to watch as now groups were being seperated. Why were they being separated? Wait, what was Madara offering them?_

 _However, before Naruto was able to observe them any longer, he suddenly drew his katana in a flash response, defending himself against a deadly slash from another._

" _Heh, didn't think you'd find me out." Naruto admitted as he steadied his footing and fell into a defensive stance._

" _I told you I would kill you." Sasuke threatened darkly, he was positioned to attack. "You betrayed me."_

" _Well I'm still alive, so I guess you will have to try a little harder." Naruto taunted._

" _Don't think that I will hold back just because it's you."_

" _I know you won't Sasuke, but I won't let you kill me!" Naruto retorted, confidently._

" _You don't have to let me." The Uchiha growled._

" _Besides, don't be mad at me! Sakura wanted to go. That's not really betraying you."_

" _Don't you speak of her!" Sasuke hissed._

 _Naruto countered an attack of his own. He could tell that although Sasuke was putting more force behind his attack, he wasn't going all out, and he could also tell that the mention of Sakura had irritated him further._

" _I tried to warn you, you bastard!"_

"So you didn't tell Hashirama that you met with Sasuke?" Sakura asked, as if confused as to why the blonde would withhold that information from the Senju leader. The way that Naruto recounted the events and Sasuke's responses only served to fuel her curiosity of the Uchiha.

"No. I don't ever tell him about the times I interact with Sasuke, because the old man already knows. He lets me do as I please… believe it or not, I think Hashirama thinks that Sasuke is the only one that is capable of change. He's also aware of our history."

"What makes you think Hashirama believes that Sasuke _could_ change?" Sakura inquired. The conversation that she had a little while back with the Senju leader made her remember that she had also said the exact same thing of Sasuke. Even if the only proof she had was his hesitance and small tolerance he had shown towards her.

"Just a hunch. Honestly, I know that Hashirama could end all this fighting right now if we were to face them head on. The size of our army versus theirs alone would prove a difficult feat for them to overcome."

"I think that Hashirama prefers to not end things that way though. It would put him in a position of dictatorship…" Sakura paused for a moment in thought. "I don't think that Hashirama is that way or that type of person. It would not be easy to suddenly rule over a population of people that have been taught to hate him their whole lives."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "True. Politics are really not my strong suit though, to be honest. So, it's hard to know exactly what that old man is thinking."

"Well, I think that you probably handle it better than me." Sakura complimented. Naruto grinned.

"Doubtful. You already have better ideas than me."

* * *

The blood that stained Sasuke was darker, yet not as frightening as the crimson of his eyes.

Sasuke had known that this would end in way more bloodshed, it always did, and like always, he did it without hesitation and on command as if he was attack dog of the Uchiha king…

But he was, wasn't he?

Sasuke was Madara's trusted sword, or at least that's what he had always thought.

Furiously, Sasuke ground his teeth. No - there had been hesitation tonight. The men who had refused to join the Uchiha army under Madara's reign had been killed mercilessly, along with their wives and children.

The look of horror - he saw it as clear as day on their faces… it was the same look that _she_ would give him, and for a moment Sasuke paused in his duty before he continued doing what his King commanded of him.

Her tears, the fierceness in her viridian eyes… her exotic pink hair…

No. She had betrayed him. She had willingly been seduced by the lies of the Senju; by the lies of Naruto. Naruto had taken her from him.

His eyes hurt. After Sasuke had bathed and retired to his makeshift bedchambers in the Uchiha encampment outside of the new territory they had claimed, he knew that he had to try and relax to give his Sharingan the rest they needed.

It took him awhile, but he had finally fallen asleep, but it was only nightmares that dared to visit him in his dream state.

 _The sound of crackling fire, and the rending of bone. Lifeless bodies that fell to the floor in a loud slump as the last screams escaped the throats of his victims._

 _Sasuke would keep none alive. His orders were strict from Madara, and Sasuke had never disobeyed him, and yet it seemed somewhat out of order to massacre the whole town. There was no warning. There was no threat by them. No… it was deceitful politics that caused their complacency… or perhaps that lack of knowledge of the realities of war._

 _Yet, he obeyed still, and he did so without hesitation._

 _He struck down two women who tried to run by in an effort to escape, screaming hysterically in response to him before he silenced them forever with one slash of his sword._

 _Then he saw her. Pink long hair, huddled over a man that was ragged on the bare earth. He could hear her sobbing, her broken voice, and a strange green light that emitted from the palms of her hands._

 _He would end her existence too, and he would have done it without hesitation… even if the green glow of her palms were nothing he had ever seen before and had bewildered him for but a moment._

 _But then the deep viridian of her eyes, the fierceness in her eyes, they defiantly glared into his crimson ones… and as angry as they were, he did not see hate in them. He would have recognized it._

 _She was covered in blood, just like him._

 _For a moment, he had allowed himself to think that she was the most exotic creature he had ever seen._

 _For the first time, he felt fear._

Sasuke's time in the depths of dreamland had been less than kind.

He quickly sat up in bed, feeling himself damp with sweat and out of breath, his forehead damp has he tried to slow his breathing.

Fear?

Fear was something that he had not felt in a very long time. Why would he dream of that night? Of that woman of all things? Who's fear was he feeling? Sasuke remembered the way that Sakura had trembled upon seeing him, even if she tried to hold a brave expression on her face.

Was it her fear?

Had his sharingan committed that to memory so much that he could _feel_ it? No… it was as if he could feel all their fear. The fear of every person that had died by his sword that night while he didn't even give it a second thought.

Sasuke hurriedly looked for his black coat to throw on. He desperately needed to get some fresh air to try and calm himself down. This dream, he must get it under control. He must get himself under control. He was angry, that he knew, especially after seeing Naruto again. He had promised Madara that he would kill him without hesitation, and yet he didn't dare tell his King that he had met Naruto and was unable to do so.

However, Naruto had even taunted him with Sakura. The anger in his chest felt like it was going to explode at the mention of her name. The way that Naruto told him she had wanted to go.

Could he blame her though? She was a prisoner - his prisoner. It's not like he treated her well…

But, he had treated her _different._

With anyone else, there would have never been the hesitation. There would have never been the wild rage at her kidnapping, or even the mild curiosity that he felt towards her.

Growling in frustration, Sasuke expertly and swiftly drew Kusanagi, slashing it at the trunk of a tree that he had found a little ways from his tent. Relentlessly he disfigured the tree, one swing after another. He was angry… no, he was furious! Furious at the confusion and hurt he felt. Confusion at the hesitation and the fear that filled him in an unfamiliar way.

The only way to retain who he was, who he needed to be, was to do what he did best and that was be the ruthless killer that he was.

It was time to stop feeling these unfamiliar feelings and uncertainty.

* * *

"Sakura, you seem unusually distracted today." Tsunade snapped, clearly irritated at her pink haired student.

"Sorry! I'm trying! I really am!" Sakura apologized, clearly frustrated herself. One more time. Focus all of her chakra to her fist one more time!

"Again! Feel the chakra build in your fist, feel it flow Sakura… then there will be that moment… that moment when you know it's time to release it. In order to do this, you need to trust yourself." Tsunade instructed. Sakura knew that her teacher was sounding like a broken record.

She could feel the chakra building, the energy coursing through her right arm and pooling at the knuckles in her fist. The sensation sort of burned, but not in a painful way. Her gaze was fixed on the dry earth below her feet.

"Feel the energy pool in your fist, and the familiar burn, then let it loose!" Tsunade prompted again, her tone demanding. Letting out a frustrated grunt, Sakura squeezed her fist, bringing her right arm back as she readied to pummel the ground.

Knuckles made contact, but the ground did not break under her force like it did under Tsunade's… Sakura could feel her irritation building higher as she let out a frustrated sigh. Why was she having so much difficulty with this?

"Sakura, stop." Tsunade instructed. "There is something holding you back. Like I said, you seem distracted today."

"It's nothing! Nothing that I can do anything about, anyway." Sakura replied, her sour mood evident in her voice.

"You're like an open book, Sakura. I can't teach you to control this if you can't control what's going on inside you. You've been this way ever since Naruto came back. Did something happen between you two?" Tsunade's voice came off as if she was insinuating something between the pinkette and blonde.

"What!" Sakura almost shrieked. "Ha, no no no, I promise we are just friends. Naruto has someone he likes, and it definitely isn't me." Tsunade frowned at Sakura's denial.

"Okay… fine. If it's not that, then what?" Tsunade demanded. "I mean you two are pretty friendly. Did you guys get into an argument or something?"

Sakura paused for a moment before answering. "No…"

"Okay. So does this not have anything to do with that blonde?" Tsunade pressed.

"Well, it does and it doesn't… I swear I didn't mean to… it's just…"

"You're not making any sense. What are you rambling on about?"

There was another pause, as if Sakura was debating on whether she should admit to what she had found out earlier or not. She wasn't particularly close to Tsunade yet, but she respected her as her teacher. Maybe her teacher would have good advice for her.

"I overheard something that I wasn't supposed to earlier, and I don't want to get in trouble, or get Naruto into trouble, so I wasn't going to say anything!" Sakura finally admitted, though Tsunade still had a confused expression on her face.

"Overheard what?"

"About the Uchiha invading the free clans. I know I'm not supposed to know, but I-"

"Calm down, Sakura." Tsunade interrupted. "Sheesh, I can't believe you are so worked up over that. Look, whatever you overheard, you would probably have found out about eventually."

"I just… I can only imagine… what they're feeling… those people." Sakura trailed off. Tsunade sighed again, this time sitting on the ground and patting the hard earth beside her to motion Sakura to sit. Without a word, Sakura did as Tsunade silently motioned.

"Sakura, your trauma, your feelings… I have no doubt that they are still very real, and very strong. What you experienced isn't something that you just get over in a few days, weeks, or months even. Honestly, I've been rather surprised at how normal you insist on acting."

"Well I mean, how can I complain, or wallow in despair right now? I've been treated so well here. I'm honestly just grateful I'm alive."

"Of course. Those are valid feelings Sakura, but it doesn't change what you went through. I don't think I could fathom the horrors you went through with the _Uchiha_." Tsunade emphasized the clan name in a way that Sakura felt was wrong. The way the name rolled off Tsunade's tongue was clearly laced with her dislike of them.

Sakura didn't know what compelled her, but for some reason she felt that it was unfair for Tsunade to talk about them with such disgust. She didn't dare argue or bring up Tsunade's tone in defense of the Uchiha however.

"Well, I'm going to go take a break. You should probably take a break too." Tsunade decided, snapping Sakura from her thoughts. "We've been working at this all morning. We can try again when you are feeling rested, and up for it. Think about what I said."

Without another word, Tsunade stood up from the ground and began walking off. Had Sakura done something to irritate her?

"So, how did training with Tsunade go today?" Naruto asked nonchalantly as he and Sakura sat down for dinner. Since the weather was nice in these later Summer days, the two of them usually ate outside in the courtyard of the Senju's main building.

"Not great, but not awful. I just… am having a hard time." Sakura admitted.

"Well, that old hag can be a nag." Naruto joked, causing Sakura to smack him on the back of the head. Naruto muttered an 'ow' in response as he rubbed the spot that Sakura had smacked.

"She might be a 'nag' as you call it, but she means well… besides, what do you mean by old?!" Sakura questioned, now curious as to why Naruto would call someone who looked so young, old.

"She's a lot older than she looks. She uses her healing chakra to maintain a more youthful appearance." Naruto answered. Sakura's jaw almost dropped in response.

"No way!"

"Yeah. I mean Hashirama's ancient, and she's his granddaughter, right? I'm telling you, she's like sixty." This time, Sakura's jaw really did drop.

"You're lying!" Sakura denied. Naruto shook his head.

"I'm serious."

"Huh, well I guess I can look young for a long time too then." Sakura pondered.

"You mean you don't already-" Naruto was now rubbing the back of his head a second time as Sakura had smacked him before he could finish his sentence.

"You deserved that you know. I know where you were going with that, and the answer is no." Sakura huffed. Naruto frowned, though it was all in good teasing.

"You're mean. You might even have a temper like that old hag."

"Well maybe you shouldn't be such an idiot." Sakura insulted the blonde. Naruto chuckled.

"Maybe." he replied. "Anyway, Hashirama's holding a meeting about his decision on the Uchiha and the free clans tomorrow. He still didn't have an answer when we met again tonight. Those other advisors of his can be a real nuisance you know?"

"I don't know why you're telling me this. Aren't I supposed to not be involved?" Sakura asked, though she really was curious about what the blonde had to say.

"You kind of already are, aren't you?" Naruto reasoned. "You know that going up against the Uchiha means going up against Sasuke, right?"

Sakura frowned. "What are you trying to insinuate with that?" She asked flatly, though she would be lying if she said her curiosity didn't get the best of her whenever his name was brought up.

"Didn't you say that he was probably the only one that was capable of change?"

"Maybe." Sakura admitted. "I don't know him the same way you do, Naruto. I don't even know how to explain what Sasuke is. He's frightening, and ruthless, and yet at the same time, it seemed as if there was some small bit of misplaced kindness… but I don't even know if I could call it that."

"I don't disagree with you Sakura… but you have to understand something about me." Naruto began. "I don't give up on the people I care about. I thought at first that you shouldn't be involved in all this, but the more I think about it, the more frustrated I get. You're the only other person beside Hinata who will even listen to me about him. Hashirama tolerates it, and maybe has little hope himself, but he doesn't make a notion to get involved."

The mention of a new name in Naruto's rambling caught Sakura's attention. "Hinata?" Sakura asked, stopping the blonde from saying whatever it was that he was about to say next.

"Oh, Hinata? Didn't I mention her before?" Naruto asked, as if Sakura was the one who was confused.

"No, you didn't. Is she your friend you've been talking about? The one you go visit?"

"Y-yeah. Huh, I didn't realize that I never said her name. I guess I don't exactly announce it out to people. Our friendship is kind of a secret."

"Well, clearly only to certain people." Sakura snickered.

"Hey! Seriously, though. I don't know, even though I haven't known you very long Sakura, you're kinda like the little sister I never had." Naruto admitted sheepishly, causing the pinkette to genuinely smile.

"I could say the same thing about you, but as a brother." Sakura replied happily, but as she said that Naruto's demeanor all of a sudden became serious again.

"Sakura, that's why I feel like I need to ask you. If I needed you to, would you… would you help me try to help Sasuke? I know it's absolutely absurd to ask you, but…"

"Even if I wanted to, I don't know how much help I would be." Sakura answered seriously. "However, I do know that I want to help everyone who is suffering under the Uchiha. With everything I've learned, and the kindness I've experienced here, I have a hard time believing that the ideal world that Uchiha want to create is the right one."

"Maybe not, but I don't think it's up to the Senju to do it either. If anything, I think the only way that their years of hatred, their years of war, will be rectified or ended is by a different party, a different view."

Sakura let Naruto's words sink into her mind.

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

* * *

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time that he had visited his family's grave.

He had avoided coming to see the tombs and stoneheads that marked the burial ground of their bodies. His father, mother, and older brother… they all lay beneath this Earth. A reminder of a terrible and ruthless tragedy that the Senju had orchestrated in order to devastate the Uchiha.

It had worked. They had wiped out any hopes of there being a strong bloodline that carried the genes for the Sharingan ever again.

His confliction was what compelled him to set foot to such a cursed place. It wasn't like there would be any advice offered to him here, but maybe the reminder of what he was fighting for would help set him straight. He couldn't be consumed by all of these emotions, no, he couldn't tolerate it.

He would kill ruthlessly like the way his family was ruthlessly murdered. That's what he kept telling himself.

He owed Madara every bit of his loyalty for taking him in and giving him a life, and purpose. Even if that meant that all of his emotions were locked away, it was maybe better that way. He couldn't have room for them. So now that they were all but invading him, he found himself frustrated.

Standing a few feet from the stone that marked his family's grave, he could read out their names, forever etched in their memory. Fugaku, Mikoto, and Itachi…

Sasuke could barely remember what any of them looked like. He had one photo of the four of them that he had managed to save, managed to keep hidden, but to him that's all they were. One small and still snapshot in time that would forever be that way. He couldn't remember their expressions, or the way that they talked, or moved.

He sat by their grave, almost sulking, arguing with himself inside the confines of his own mind, trying to eradicate the tumultuous feelings of his emotions.

In his focused silence, he noticed some wildflowers that grew by the graves.

The cycle of birth and death that was eternal… once this area was barren, soiled by blood and death, but now, that blood and death had become the nutrients needed for new life to flourish. The same way that Winter was to Spring…

Suddenly, the memory of his mother and vase of flowers came into his mind. It seemed fuzzy to him, as if he couldn't quite remember it clearly, but for some odd reason it compelled Sasuke to do something.

Softly he rose from the ground, walking over to the patch of wildflowers that grew nearby. Slowly he leaned down and began to pick a few of them.

He remembered that somewhere before he had seen others pick flowers and leave them at the graves of what he assumed was their loved ones. Was that a customary thing? Such a thing was typically so foreign to him, maybe even silly as he would have scoffed at the idea, but something in his gut told him to just do it, and leave some flowers at their graves.

It was ridiculous really, considering that they were dead and it wasn't like they would have a clue about the flowers that Sasuke left behind. It wasn't like that had a clue about him, or the last twenty years for that matter. No, they were dead, and yet, Sasuke felt an odd sense of peace from this act that he would have scoffed at.

Closing his eyes, when Sasuke opened them once more, they were shining in that eerie crimson glow, as he found his resolve again. That's right. It didn't matter who was in his way. Anyone who opposed him was his enemy. Anyone who supported the Senju, the killers of his family and of the precious people of his clan, they would die.

They had to die by his own hands.

* * *

"Naruto, what you are asking is simply ridiculous! You have come up with some crazy ideas, but this is by far the craziest!" Hashirama reprimanded, clearly appalled at the blonde's request.

"Why is it crazy? Hashirama do you really think that this war will end if you just keep killing each other? Are you willing to just pass on the burden of this war to Tsunade or the next person?" Naruto argued. "Sakura's been training for weeks."

"Maybe so, but she is nowhere near ready to experience the horrors of war again, not to mention she is probably nowhere near ready to face that General of Madara's again."

"You're the one who told me that Sasuke was the only one who was probably capable of change. You're one of the few people who could even believe that, or agree with me, but yet you sit by and do nothing!" Naruto accused. "Despite the horrors Sakura faced while being Sasuke's prisoner, she is still willing to see the good in him!"

"I would calm down if I were you, Naruto. I think of you like one of my own children, but you don't quite understand the gravity of every decision we face, the consequence of every action. What are going to be the consequences of your actions?! Even if I were to let Sakura go, if I were to agree to her being a part of this mess, would you be able to handle it if she died as a consequence of your choices, of your endeavors?"

"I would never let that happen to her." Naruto replied in quiet confidence.

"Naruto, you can't save everyone. That's reality. Sakura is someone precious. In some ways, she is like Sasuke in the sense that she is the last of her kind."

"You would keep Sakura safe, but kill Sasuke, even if he is the one of the last of his kind?" Naruto questioned. "Because if we do nothing to stop him, nothing to stop Madara or the war, what will happen then? That would be the same as condemning him to death!"

"You forget Naruto, that he made those choices. He is an adult, like you. He chose his loyalties." Hashirama argued. "It's not like he is a forced prisoner. He willingly does as his King commands him. Sakura didn't have a choice!"

"It may be that way with Sakura, but with Sasuke that's not true! If Madara had raised me the same way, do you not think that I couldn't of ended up exactly the same way? I'm different because I know something different. This is all Sasuke has ever known! He has a chance to change if he knows something else."

"So you would risk Sakura's life just because you both see he could be saved him from his darkness? Naruto think about this wisely! Especially since you were the one that demanded that we go out of our way to save her. Neither clan has ever launched a direct assault on the enemy's main home. I can assure you that we have no idea how heavy the consequence of that decision will be. Those are my clan members out there who risked their lives or lost them to save that woman."

"I know how difficult that decision was, and for you to let me be a part of it, but it has given us a better chance to end this war for good. Hashirama you know as well as I do that nothing will change if we don't change!"

Hashirama sighed.

"Look Naruto, even more than you, more than me, are you even considering Sakura's feelings?"

"I know that Sakura wants to save people. She doesn't want any more of the bloodshed, any more deaths or senseless killings. She sees the potential in Sasuke."

"I know she does, but it's not about that. You've been on the one man crusade for a while now to save your friend, and you're asking her to be a part of that same crusade when she only knows a completely different side of Sasuke. Do you think about the trauma she went through? Do you really think that if she saw him again her fears won't resurface?"

For a moment, it seemed that Hashirama had won that argument, stumping the blonde. Naruto had never been the 'think first, act later' type.

"Hashirama saw this as a chance to continue lecturing the blonde. "Not only that, Naruto. But you need to consider this: Even if somehow you were able to get through the Sasuke and show him a different path, how easily do you think Madara would let him go? Do you think that he wouldn't hunt Sasuke to the ends of the Earth, or you, or Sakura for that matter? Someone with his ambition would become even more dangerous."

For a while, silence fell between the two men as Naruto contemplated his words, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

Hashirama had a good point in many ways, but Naruto just couldn't accept them.

"I know that what I am asking is a lot." Naruto responded, his voice quiet, but firm. His cerulean eyes met Hashirama's, a fierce determination in his gaze. "but what I am asking is, if Sakura made the decision on her own, would you let her go? Would you support her? Even if it's only to the same support you show me. I know what the risks are, but if we don't try, if we don't do something, nothing will ever change. We need to change it."

Hashirama let out a heavy sigh.

"I stand by my statement in saying that Sakura is not my prisoner, no matter how defensive I may want to be in order to preserve her abilities. If Sakura truly made that decision on her own, then I would have no choice but to allow it. I would of course give her the same support as I do you… but Naruto." Hashirama's tone darkened with his threat. "If anything happened to her, I will hold you accountable."

Naruto grunted. "It's fine if you do." he replied confidently. "I never go back on my word."

* * *

Darkness filled the sky, nothing but the sound of chirping crickets and a light breeze disrupting it. Sakura found herself once again laying in bed, contemplating things over the last few days… the Senju meeting, her training with Tsunade, and Naruto's words.

Where was her place in all of this? What should she do?

A feeling had been gnawing at Sakura ever since she had come to find out more about Sasuke from Naruto's point of view.

It was no doubt that Sasuke was indeed a ruthless person, who had done many unforgivable things… just the thought of his crimson red eyes, his stoic expression and his merciless onslaught of people were enough to cause Sakura to go into a state of panic, and yet she found herself holding onto the one thing that it seemed the Senju leader, Naruto and her had all agreed on.

Sasuke was capable of change.

Whether he _would_ change however, was something entirely different.

In the depths of the hatred that he openly expressed in his eyes, Sakura still saw a small part of him that was different. A small part of him that seemed like the man that Naruto had once described him to be.

But what could Sakura do?

In her current state, she was not someone who could dream to hold her own on a battlefield, nor was she sure if she would be able to withstand the horrors that came with such a setting.

Deep down, she wanted to save everyone who was suffering, everyone who was hurting at the hands of this senseless war, this senseless bloodshed - however, saving everyone would be impossible...

If she were to fight, what would she be fighting for? The people of the free clans who had been like her? The Senju? Naruto's dream and desire to save his best friend?

No, the suffering had to stop, and no matter how she tried to logically approach the problem, the same problems remained. There was no clear good or bad side. There was no clear path to an end with either the Senju or the Uchiha.

The only viable path was one that neither the Senju or the Uchiha could take. This required an outside force, an outside influence.

Frustrated at the fact that she couldn't find a comfortable position in bed to try and relax in, or slow down the erratic thoughts of her mind, Sakura decided to go for a stroll out in the gardens. It was true that the Senju capital was beautiful, and so was Hashirama's home.

The night was warm here, unlike how it was at the Uchiha castle. The whole way of life here was different. The Uchiha was steeped in tradition, so much so to the point as if they weren't willing to convert to more modern things quickly. The Senju however, lived in a much more modern way, though their customs and values remained the same.

Living in the small rural village that Sakura had grown up in though had definitely made her realize just how simplistic her way of life had been, not that it was a bad thing. In some ways, she missed it, but then again, deep down she missed everything that she had once called home. Even here, where she was well taken care of didn't quite feel like home. Maybe nowhere ever would.

The gardens were quiet except for the sound of the rustling leaves that swayed in the wind. Sakura found a bench by a dim light post, deciding to take a seat on it and breathe the fresh nighttime air. She closed her eyes, taking in the relaxing calmness of the night.

"What are you doing up so late?" a voice came, instantly startling the pinkette as she slightly jumped in response. Eyelids flying open, blonde and cerulean eyes filled her sight.

"Geez Naruto, you scared me!" Sakura scolded as the blonde invited himself to sit beside her with in an unceremonious motion.

"Can't sleep?" he inquired, ignoring her startled reaction.

"Yeah. You either?" Sakura questioned back, though it was a more obvious statement.

"Yeah, guess so. I've had a lot on my mind lately." Naruto admitted.

"It's definitely been a little frantic around here."

"It probably will be for a while," Naruto answered. "Especially since Hashirama made the announcement at tonight's council meeting that he would intervene the Uchiha the next time they try to take over another one of the free clans. He's ordered an immediate scout mission and tighter patrols."

Sakura's eyes widened, showing her shock at the Senju leaders decision. She had half expected him to remain complacent when it came to the free clans. Good as the Senju may be, they still had made their outlook of not getting involved in anything outside of their concerns pretty clear.

"I honestly wasn't sure if Hashirama would get involved in such a thing." Sakura admitted.

"I wasn't either… bit it's like you and I have both said, change is never going to happen if we don't change."

"Are you going to be going with them? Once they find out the Uchiha's next target?" Sakura inquired.

"Yeah. Change means I have to change too, and that means taking action. I've played behind the scenes for a long time." Naruto grinned. "I'm definitely going to see Hinata before I go though! I might die ya know!"

Sakura gave him a light punch in the arm at his bad joke, causing the blonde to feign hurt. "You better not die on me! I'll be mad, but I'm pretty sure your girlfriend would be even more upset than me."

"S-she's not my girlfriend!" Naruto retorted, slightly flustered. Sakura couldn't help but snicker.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself."

Silence fell between the two of them as they were left with their own thoughts. A part of Sakura was definitely worried about Naruto, and then there was a part of her that wanted to ask if she could go with them… even though logically she felt that would be entirely out of the question. She didn't expect what came out his mouth next.

"Hey." Naruto began. "All joking aside, I actually did want to ask you about something."

"What is that?" Sakura asked, half paying attention while she was still lost in her personal thoughts.

"What if… what if I asked you to help me?" Naruto continued. He wasn't making complete sense, and Sakura was about to open her mouth to ask him to clarify when the blonde sighed and continued. "With Sasuke I mean… I know it's a lot to ask, especially of you."

Suddenly it felt as if Sakura's heart began pounding in her chest at an impossible pace.

"I… I don't know what I could do to help." She replied, her voice choking at the unexpected question. "Not to mention the fact that I am pretty sure Hashirama doesn't want me anywhere near a battlefield."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "Well, I can't say that you are wrong there, but…" Naruto trailed off, as if contemplating how to word his next sentence. "I did have a talk about him with it." Sakura's eyes widened.

"You did? What did he say?!" She asked, almost a small enthusiasm in her voice. Maybe… just maybe this would be her answer of what she was supposed to do.

"Well, he said that he can't stop you if you ever decided to get involved on your own. Honestly, I know I shouldn't be asking you about this, but… I just have this feeling… like I needed to." Naruto shrugged. "But of course… I know I'm not always good at considering other people's feelings… I totally understand you not wanting to ever see the things you did ever again."

"I don't… but all I can think about is all the other people suffering the same way I did. In the end, even with the Uchiha I ended up getting lucky…" Sakura answered. "I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't frightened by Sasuke, but after everything you've told me, I can't help but see him as a person who is probably suffering too."

"I think everyone has suffered because of this war in one way or another."

"It's true that I could probably live out my life here and not have to worry much about the violence of war, but I don't know that I could just easily forget… and then be okay with pretending like it isn't happening. Even with Tsunade training me, even with these healing powers that I have… I don't know that I could sit idly by forever. I -"

"You're not that kind of person... I think I know that." Naruto added. Sakura nodded.

"Yes." She agreed, quietly.

Naruto pulled Sakura into a hug.

"Thank you. I promise… I will protect you as my friend."

* * *

To be honest, this is really not my favorite chapter. I had the worst writers block, it's not even funny! But hopefully now we can pick up the pace and move into more of the main bulk of the story! Some interesting things will be happening from here on out.

I really want to thank everyone that has been reading this story so far, and your reviews have been absolutely amazing! The feedback really does help when it comes to writing the next chapters! I also really appreciate constructive criticism. I know that my writing can always improve!

The first reunion between Sasuke and Sakura is coming up pretty soon!

I have a bit of time currently, so I am going to start working on the next chapter pretty quick. Unfortunately I currently don't have a consistent upload schedule.. So sorry about that guys!

Thanks again for reading, and I would really appreciate you leaving your thoughts in a review!


	6. The Fate of Choices

Working on the next chapter like tra la la la la…

Ugh, well, hopefully you made it through the last chapter and are excited for this one! Some pretty big developments for this one coming up, so hold onto your seats!

Are you feeling the slow burn yet?

Anyway, here we go!

 **To Guest Reviewer who is thankful for my story:** Thanks so much for reading! I am so happy that this is shaping up to be one of your favorite stories! Yes, it is really important to me that I try my best to keep all the character IC and believable. I don't blame you for being irritated when they aren't. Even in an AU setting, keeping them IC really helps make the story more believable, especially when it comes to to interactions between all of them, or how they would behave. I'm getting really excited to write some of the big SasuSaku moments in this story, so please hold out until then!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related.

* * *

 **Chapter VI:** The Fate of Choices

* * *

 _Decisions that have been made_

 _Their future's uncertain_

 _Between what's familiar or right_

 _They search for answers_

* * *

"Where have you been?"

It was late into the night when Sasuke had returned back to the Uchiha castle after visiting his family's grave. In all certainty, he wasn't even sure if Madara was aware that they even had a grave. Madara had not once ever mentioned it, and it was Naruto who had told him about it in the first place a long time ago. It left Sasuke unsure of who had bothered to put the grave there at all.

"I was assessing my priorities, which are to you." Sasuke answered flatly, not wanting to reveal to his King that he had visited the place of his deceased family.

"Are they, Sasuke?" Madara mused, questioning. Sasuke could tell that he seemed somewhat entertained by Sasuke's answer, as if he knew something that he did not.

"What would make you think otherwise?" Sasuke asked, his tone questioning. "Have I not done as you asked?"

"I suppose you have. We acquired more men, and another territory without incident thanks to you, as I expected. I heard a peculiar rumor however..." Madara continued. "Some soldiers were gossipping about you having nightmares."

Sasuke scoffed. "I assure you that the only 'nightmares' I've been having are about cutting off the head of both Naruto and that woman."

"You won't even speak her name now?" Madara inquired. Though his face seemed unreadable, to Sasuke his amusement was clear in his eyes, serving to only irritate the Uchiha general.

"Would you rather me speak of her as if she was someone important?"

"Hmph. I suppose not. After all, you could have any woman you want. Perhaps you should consider finding one. You are of age after all. Maybe you could use the entertainment."

"I have no interest in such a thing." Sasuke conceded, almost disgusted with the suggestion. Him have time to play around with things like romance or even deal with someone of the opposite sex was so far from the top of his list of things he cared about. Women were a nuisance. They ogled at him as if they would worship the very ground he walked on, and he despised it. He had no such time for such foolery.

"Huh, I see. Well, whatever you do with yourself personally is not of my concern." Madara shrugged, beginning to walk off as he silently communicated that he was done harassing his general and ready to turn in for the night. "Tomorrow morning, we will discuss the next campaign and our next target for occupation." He added, stopping momentarily before he continued his retreat.

Sasuke watched the back of his King as he retreated towards his own quarters in the castle, glaring holes at his back as if they could burn right through him. He didn't like the way that Madara would toy with him, and it irritated him more than usual as of late.

After a few moments, he decided to retire to his own room, unceremoniously tossing his weapon onto his bed as he carelessly stripped his armor and clothing from his body to sleep in his pants. Moonlight shone in through the window, leaving a dim glow in his room and on his naked torso. He hadn't realized it, but he had been sweating.

Flopping on his bed, he grit his teeth, closing his eyes and resting his right forearm on them.

What Madara had said replayed through his mind. The image of pink, and fierce green eyes flashed through his mind. He could still remember exactly how she looked, and the more that he did, the more that it made him furious.

He would avenge his family. He would not forgive all those who had hurt him, hurt his clan, or betrayed him.

He had shown her restraint. No, something about her _demanded_ his restraint. He couldn't understand why. His words sounded as empty threats when they fell from his mouth. Something about her was different. Something about her made him weak, and he hated weakness.

Sasuke had truly never met a woman like her before in his entire life. It was true that he could bed any woman he wanted, take a wife in almost an instant, and yet she challenged him. She did not worship him, no, she resented him. The women of his enemies ran in terror upon the sight of him and the blood red of his eyes, and yet she stood firm in defiance of him.

In the end, he didn't understand her at all.

Sasuke Uchiha did not like things he didn't understand, and he did not like things that made him weak.

It seemed as if morning came way too quickly when the bright rays of the rising sun woke Sasuke from his sleep. Grunting, he pushed himself out of bed as he went into the bathroom to get cleaned up for the day. Madara would be wanting to meet with him soon to talk about their next target.

Dressed appropriately in his usual attire that made his rank clear, he strapped Kusanagi to his hip, pulling on his boots before making his way towards Madara's study.

"Morning. Punctual as usual, despite the late night." Madara commented as Sasuke walked into his study, not caring to announce himself.

"I am your General." Sasuke replied.

"So, you are." Madara agreed. "Our next target… I want to occupy the Niwa."

Sasuke gave his King an inquisitive look. "That is the in the opposite territory of where we have claimed the last two clans." Sasuke stated. "Why start in a different territory?"

"A reasonable question given your general logic to things." Madara nodded. "However, I would say that we have reasonably secured good area in the East lands of the Senju territory. The Niwa are in the West."

"You are suggesting occupation in a pincer formation? That would spread our forces very thin, even with the new acquisitions." Sasuke argued.

"Perhaps. Logic would dictate that as an unwise move, which I know is exactly the way you think. However, I think we both can agree that typical warfare against the Senju has never worked, or this war would be done and over with. It is time to take a calculated risk."

"It is true that it would result in the Senju being surrounded which might throw their forces off guard for a little while, however, the sheer size of their army would be enough to cover them on both sides."

"That is also why we must rely on an element of surprise. It is no doubt that Hashirama is probably keeping an eye on us, yet he has hid behind his walls as we occupy the free lands."

"We must consider however, that he may not leave us to do as we wish for much longer." Sasuke suggested. "While we know the Senju to be complacent when it comes to matters that do not involve them, there is the chance that we may push him out of his complacency."

"That may be true, which is why I have come up with a second plan." Madara revealed.

"What is it you plan to do?" Sasuke asked. Madara had truly caught his attention with his cunning implication. This would not have been the first time that Madara had deviated from the norm, or done something different.

"I think that there is a chance that us occupying the Niwa will for Hashirama to spur into action. If he does, then I think he will take our bait." Madara explained, a sly smile on his face.

"We are trying to grow our ranks by offering all who choose to join the Uchiha a chance to live. If the Senju try to come to the aid of the Niwa that are fleeing from our occupation, they will probably take them on as refugees, if only even for a little while before finding somewhere else to settle them. There is where lies a perfect opportunity."

Sasuke immediately understood where Madara was going with this plan.

"So you want to plant decoys?" Sasuke asked, though his words were more of a statement than a question. Madara gave a nod in reply.

"Yes. It is likely that once they are found out, they will immediately be exiled. Obviously if we tell them that, it would be unlikely that we would get anyone that would be willing to do such a foolish thing, even with were to threaten them, so I will offer them something that they will obviously never be able to obtain."

"A lie to do your bidding?"

"A soldier is just a pawn after all, are they not?" For a moment, Sasuke felt unsettled, though he knew that Madara's plan would most likely work successfully.

"Who would you want them to target? It's unlikely that Hashirama himself will present himself on the battlefield." Sasuke inquired.

"No, but Hashirama will most likely send someone high ranking." Madara pressed. "Taking someone high ranking out would still be a problem for the Senju."

"Agreed - it would. I suppose to us the risk would be minimal."

"I would prepare for that scenario. While it may seem unlikely, I do not like the idea of being caught off guard."

Sasuke took in every word that Madara was saying. Though seemingly insane, Madara's plan did have some logical basis behind his intention, and Sasuke intended to follow through with his King's orders.

* * *

 _'Knock knock'_

The sound echoed through Hashirama's study as he called for the person at his door to enter the room. Looking up from his desk, the petite figure of Sakura opened the door, her bright green eyes and pink hair immediately noticeable.

"Ah, Sakura, what brings you to visit me?" He asked calmly, motioning for the pinkette the enter the room and take a seat on the chair that sat across from his desk. His study was warm and inviting, but Sakura noticed that Hashirama was not the most organized person. There was a clutter of paper on his desk and book littered about the place.

"I… wanted to talk to you about something." Sakura began, her voice a little shaky, a little uncertain.

Hashirama set down his pen, looking up from his desk to give Sakura his full attention.

"I can tell that there is uncertainty in your voice… you do not have to feel nervous around me. What is it that you would ask of me?" He inquired kindly.

"I can't express just how grateful I am that you have saved me, and changed my life. I know that I am protected and safe here, but even so, even though you offer me a life where I will never have to worry about the horrors of war, where I will always have refuge, I don't know that I can't sit idly by and pretend like those things don't exist." Sakura began. "I can't live in a life of safety knowing the suffering that others are experiencing and that I am not doing anything about it."

"I would not be opposed to you wanting to help the sick or injured Sakura." Hashirama offered.

"No, it's not that. I mean, of course I would help those that are sick or injured. I know that I could do that in a clinical setting, but…"

"You want to help those that are out there fighting and risking their lives?" Hashirama answered. Sakura nodded, which caused the Senju leader to frown.

"Did Naruto put you up to this? Do you know what you are asking, or know what you will be getting yourself into? Sakura you know very well the horrors of war!"

"I do! And that's why I can't sit by and pretend that it isn't happening! I can't sit by and do nothing!" Sakura exclaimed. "Please don't blame Naruto. Even if he were to ask such a thing, even if he had never mentioned anything to me about it, I would have eventually come to this conclusion on my own. It has been eating away at me for a while now."

"It's not that I would blame Naruto, Sakura. You are probably aware then that I have had a conversation with him about you, and his crusade to save his friend. Would you want to save him too? Or are your motives different?" Hashirama asked, but the way he talked almost seemed as if he was in deep thought rather than questioning.

"I… don't know. I don't know what it is I could do to change things in that regard, but." Sakura paused for a moment before continuing. "I do know that I can at least make a difference healing those in need on the battlefield."

"Even if I were to send you out with my army, with Naruto, it will instantly make you a prime target. You would never be safe. Even though I know my granddaughter has been training you, it still hasn't prepared you for the battlefield."

"I don't think any amount of training with prepare me for that. The skills I learn will help, but ultimately is it not the choices we make in the moment that determine the outcome?"

"You are right in saying that, but if something happened, if you were faced with death, faced with the ones who changed your life forever, would you be able to stand against them? Sakura I do worry about you, and the trauma you have gone through. Tsunade has reported to me that you act as if those things have never happened to you."

Sakura frowned. "Of course they did! I can't ever forget how I felt, or what I experienced! It has changed me forever!" Sakura exclaimed. "I lived in a world where I was ignorant to so many things, I wanted to cry! At some times, I felt that if I died that it would be okay, but giving up would be worse than fighting! So I can't give up! It's not that I am forgetting it, but in my mind I have to become strong enough to endure it! Strong enough to help those that are in need with my own power!"

Hashirama's face softened at the display of determination of the young woman before him. Sakura Haruno was indeed someone different, someone special. Even if she had not known Tsunade for very long, in some ways he saw some of the same determination and love for people that he did in his own granddaughter when she was young. Something Tsunade had lost and hidden away in her experiences. Something Hashirama had not been able to save his granddaughter from.

"You really are someone special, Sakura." He said softly. "I will support you in any way that I can, that I can promise. I can't however, stress enough just how important you are as a person with special abilities. Please, don't forget to take care of yourself. I realize that by asking you to sit by and do nothing that perhaps I am hindering you."

Sakura's eyes welled up with tears. "I honestly cannot thank you enough for the kindness you have given me. I want this war to end just as much as anyone else who is suffering from it."

"I believe that. Sakura, I may be an old man set in my old ways, but you and Naruto have become dear to me and have forced me to think about things in different ways. You are not wrong in saying that perhaps change is what we need to end all the suffering." Hashirama admitted. "I am limited to what I can do publicly as I uphold our traditions, our values, and our beliefs."

"I understand that."

"Go talk with my granddaughter. If you must go, I ask that you please go with Naruto. He has promised me to protect you with his life. You two must look out for each other."

Sakura nodded. "I promise."

* * *

After his meeting with Madara, Sasuke had been left along with his own thoughts and preparations for their campaign. It was his duty to make sure that all things were in order, and that everything would go as smoothly as possible.

Before he would throw himself into that commitment however, he found himself wandering towards the training room, as if his mind was subconsciously telling him that he needed to blow off some steam.

Was Madara becoming so desperate that he would resort to trickery and lies just to try and overpower the Senju? Where was the prideful man that Sasuke had once known?

Sasuke could ask himself that question himself all he wanted, but deep down he knew what the answer was. He had known it the first time that he had questioned it when Madara had tried to set him up in a political marriage with the one woman who could be their entire demise at this point. Sakura did not need the motivation of fear, or death for her to aid the Senju.

He had been against the idea of Madara choosing a wife for him, even if it was for political tie, but the fact that Madara had lied to gain their complacency had not entirely sat well with him, even though he had ignored it and buried such feelings away. The fact that Madara had come up with another such scheme once again questioned his resolve.

It seemed that every time he tried to find his resolve, something was stopping him at every corner. Every action he took, he found himself more frustrated, more confused, no matter what he did.

Why was he even thinking about that marriage in the first place? It was as if without meaning to, his mind drifted off to _her_ even though every loyal and logical fiber of his being demanded that he forget her, that he make her disappear from his life forever.

This was exactly why bonds made him weak. He shared no bond with that woman, and yet he _did._

If he saw Sakura again, would he really be able to strike her down without a second thought? Would she glare at him with that same fierceness in her eyes? Would she challenge him? Did she hate him as much as he felt hatred for the Senju? For those that have betrayed him? Would he hesitate, the same way that he has hesitated every single time when it came to the woman who could captivate him with those viridian eyes?

The more that he thought about her, the more he became frustrated.

Everything has become more complicated ever since Madara's interest in Sakura had stopped him from ending her life that fateful night.

How could one woman complicate everything that he has ever known?

Sasuke began to strip himself of his armor and his boots before stepping on the mats in the training room. He unfastened Kusanagi from his hip, instead fastening his sword across his back. Training was often one way he could relieve his frustrations.

He lowered himself into a steady stance. He often preferred swordplay, but physical conditioning with hand to hand combat was just as important. Sasuke was good with taijutsu, but in comparison with his sword skills, it was not his strong suit.

He began to go through controlled movements, slowing his breathing and focusing on flexing and relaxing his muscles.

Sasuke clenched his jaw. The more he thought about channeling his frustrations through his movements, the less controlled he became.

Sweat began to roll down his forehead and his breathing became more labored. His movements were becoming faster, his form suffering from his pent up anger.

Growling, he finished a set of motions, his form and control almost entirely forgotten as he unsheathed Kusanagi from his back fluidly with expert precision as he slashed at the training dummy in front of him, cutting it in two in a clean, deadly line.

He pinned one half of his dummy down with his sword, his breathing heavy and uneven.

He always favored his sword because with Kusanagi in his hand, it gave him the familiarity and comfort of what knew he was and what he knew he needed to be.

* * *

"You are condemning Sakura to death!" Tsunade accused, swinging open the door to her grandfather's office harshly. Her entire aura was laced with her anger, so much so that Hashirama could feel it without even looking at the furious expression upon his granddaughter's face.

"I cannot stop her from what she wants to do." Hashirama replied calmly, raising his head from the paperwork on his desk to finally meet the angry gaze of Tsunade.

"Did you even try?!" Tsunade spat. "This is ridiculous! You know as well as I do that Naruto's crusade is nothing but a death trap! How can you support this?!"

"Tsuna. Calm down!" Hashirama commanded.

"Don't 'Tsuna' me! You asked me to help Sakura, to teach her to use her powers and how to defend herself, and yet you would allow her to go out to war so soon! She doesn't even understand -"

"Tsunade. Do you truly feel that Sakura doesn't have the potential to be someone extraordinary? Do you feel that she is so foolish of a girl that she would not consciously make such decisions on her own? I understand that you feel that someone like her should be protected… as do I, but keeping her caged up here will not help anything!"

"Like you did with me? You cannot pretend that letting her do what you wouldn't allow me to do will make what happened disappear!"

"I know it won't." Hashirama sighed. "No matter how many times I have told you that Dan and Nawaki's deaths weren't your fault, I know that you still blame yourself. It's not that I didn't have faith in your abilities, Tsuna. It was that I was afraid. My fear has caused so many deaths, and I know that."

"Oh so now you want to talk about the elephant that's been in the room for the last fifteen years!" Tsunade scoffed.

"I have always been here to talk about that, but I gave you your space! Don't pretend that it has been easy for me to let you disappear for days, weeks, or months on end without a word! Or to watch you waste yourself away with drinks and gambling!" Hashirama scolded. Tsunade was slightly taken back by her grandfather's stern outburst.

"I just…" Tsunade began, trying to find the words to justify her behavior.

"You are right. Neither you nor Sakura _belong_ on a battlefield, neither of you _belong_ in war," Hashirama continued. "But it doesn't mean that you aren't special, or that you could have never made or could make a difference. Tsunade, you saved many lives. You still do. You're teaching Sakura the same. How is there shame in that? Everyone has lost someone that they love as a result of this never-ending feud. I am old. I am set in my ways. I no longer can personally change the course of things. I have to leave the future up to the ones that can, and protect their chances, and that means supporting them."

"Why couldn't you have felt that way about me back then? Things could have been different." Tsunade asked quietly, holding back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"I should have. That is a regret that I will live with for the rest of my life. I should have supported you, my granddaughter. Someday though, you will inherit my position. I can't entrust it to anyone but you. I see you in Sakura because she hold many of the ideals that you once did as a young woman. Ideals that I know deep down you still have. You believed that change is what we needed."

Tears were silently falling for Tsunade's brown eyes as she tried to blink them away. She was going to have to apologize to Sakura. She had let her own anger get in the way earlier when Sakura had come to her to ask her for her advice and support because she had decided to all that she could to support the people that were suffering.

" _Tsunade, can I talk to you? Please?" Sakura called out to her teacher. Tsunade was seated under a tree in the training grounds that she and Sakura would often practice in. She was reading a book on undetectable poisons._

" _It's unusual for you to come seek me out on a rest day." Tsunade remarked, waving for her student to come closer and take a seat beside her._

" _Well, I wanted your advice on something." Sakura replied, taking a seat beside her teacher, eyeing the book that she held between her hands as if it was suddenly interesting to her._

" _About what?"_

" _Well, if I wanted to go out and help people, help those who are suffering like me, I-"_

 _Suddenly Tsunade shut her book, albeit a little rough as the pages slapped together._

" _Are you implying that you foolishly want to go out into the battlefield? Tsunade scoffed. "That is no place for a little girl like you."_

 _Sakura's disappointment immediately settled on her face._

" _I know it's not but-"_

" _Sakura, I don't care what your reason or motives are, but if you intend to do something so stupid-"_

" _Hashirama and Naruto support me though!" Sakura cut in, causing the blonde female to immediately frown at the mention of her grandfather's name._

" _Hashirama did? You went and asked him for permission and he's allowing this?!" Tsunade questioned, her tone rude._

" _Y-yes he did and I-"_

 _Tsunade cut her off again, clearly agitated by the whole conversation._

" _If you want to throw your life away, Sakura then go ahead, be my guest, but I refuse to teach someone so foolish! Get out of my sight!" Tsunade snapped. She could easily see the absolute shock and disappointment on Sakura's face as she turned and ran off, leaving Tsunade fuming as she immediately decided to go confront her grandfather._

 _How could her grandfather be such a hypocrite?!_

* * *

"Are you sure you are okay with me coming along?" Sakura asked, as she watched Naruto attach supply satchels to his horse.

"Of course. You are my friend after all. I promised Hashirama that I would look after you as well. We don't know when exactly the Uchiha will move again, but we are betting that it will be fairly soon, so I wanted to see Hinata again before that happens." Naruto replied nonchalantly.

"So, are you really ever going to tell me what exactly is going on between the two of you? I mean you say that she is your friend, but you sure like to go out of your way to visit her." Sakura remarked. Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know, she asks me to come visit her, so I do. She usually listens to all of my stupid ideas and we just get along really well. She is also a really good cook and I'm not gonna lie, I really like her cooking." Naruto praised.

Sakura couldn't help but think that Naruto was clueless. She was no expert at all when it came to romance or love, but the way that he talked about her and his willingness to just spend time with her seemed like a clear indication that either one or both of them wanted to be more than just friends.

"She cooks for you?" Sakura asked, her voice teasing. Naruto snorted.

"What's wrong with that?" He defended. "She also makes the best ramen! I would eat it every damn day if I could!"

Sakura tried to not laugh at his defensiveness. "So why exactly is your friendship a secret? Is it her that wants to keep it a secret or you?" Sakura questioned, unsure if Naruto would really reveal his personal problems with her.

"Oh that?" Naruto asked. "Well, I suppose that's a little complicated." He chuckled nervously, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"How come?" Sakura pressed.

"Well, I guess you could say that it comes a little from both sides. Not from Hinata particularly, but her father isn't my biggest fan. The Hyuuga are still fairly influential people, especially among the Senju. They once held a special ability that was once very similar to the Uchiha's Sharingan."

"The Sharingan?"

"Yeah, you know? Those creepy red eyes." Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh, I didn't know that they had a name." Sakura replied.

"Anyway like I said, her father just isn't my biggest fan, and I don't exactly live a lifestyle that any woman would want so we're friends. I tend to make enemies in bad places sometimes, and I would hate for anyone I care about to get hurt because they are affiliated with me."

"You really love her a lot, don't you?" Sakura observed, not realizing that she had actually said that aloud until she saw the crimson blush that spread across Naruto's face that clashed with his cerulean eyes.

"Uh, um, I mean…" Naruto trailed off, unable to come up with intelligible words in response to that. Sakura immediately grasped her mouth with her hands.

"Sorry! I most definitely didn't mean to to say that out loud, and I didn't mean to assume-"

"It's okay. I mean… I guess… you aren't wrong." Naruto conceded. "I just think that it's better this way. I don't know that I could make someone like Hinata happy in that way anyway."

"Well for what's it's worth, I think you are a good person, Naruto." Sakura said, her compliment honest.

"You are too, Sakura." Naruto replied, grinning.

Sakura watched as Naruto adjusted the last few buckles on their horses as they prepared to leave for the Hyuuga territories. It would be about a half day's ride before they would reach their main town.

Sakura was deep in thought, thinking about what Naruto said about this Hinata person, as she tried to imagine what kind of a woman that she was. She had no idea what she looked like, but Naruto always talked highly of her. She was snapped out of her thoughts however when a familiar female voice came calling her name from behind her.

"Sakura wait, I have to talk to you."

Sakura turned to see Tsunade briskly walking towards the pair of them, her expression serious yet soft. Naruto frowned upon seeing the woman, tensing as if he was about ready to defend Sakura from her again since Sakura had told him about her teacher's less than approving attitude towards her decision to try and make a difference.

"Back down Naruto, I'm not going to scold Sakura or anything liked that. "Tsunade snapped upon seeing Naruto's defensive behavior. Naruto had mentioned that two of them had a little bit of a rough relationship since they often didn't see eye to eye on many things.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, grabbing Naruto's wrist for comfort.

"I just wanted to say that I am… sorry. I was in the wrong to react that way to you and send you off. You aren't doing anything wrong. I was in the wrong, and if this is really what you want, then as someone who has come to care about you, I should be supporting you. I will continue to train you whenever I can… and don't forget to keep practicing what I have taught you." Tsunade rambled, talking quickly as if she wouldn't be able to get everything she wanted to say out if she didn't blurt it all out at once.

Without a word, Sakura pushed herself from Naruto to give her teacher a hug.

"Thank you." She said softly. At first, Tsunade stiffened, as if unsure of how to react to the sudden contact from Sakura, but relaxing a little she gave her a soft hug back.

"I'm sorry, and I really do care for you. I want to teach you everything that I know, so you better not go dying out there! And you better save as many lives as you can, but don't forget that if you aren't safe and healthy, you won't be able to help anyone!" Tsunade reminded. Sakura nodded.

"I know, and I will."

With that, she pulled herself from her teacher, ready to head out with Naruto.

"Naruto swear to me that you will keep Sakura safe." Tsunade demanded, her brown eyes staring into his blue ones.

"I promise that I will keep Sakura safe. I know that she is a precious person." Naruto answered, his voice firm. Tsunade nodded in response.

Sakura and Naruto both mounted their horses, ready set off as Tsunade watched. Naruto was dressed in lighter traveling clothes than he usually wore, wearing a black shirt and black pants, an orange jacket tied around his waist. It was hot this time of year, but would often get much cooler in the evenings.

Sakura herself was also wearing black pants and a red sleeveless tunic. She had packed a tan travelling coat as well for when the temperature dropped. Her hair was braided in a big thick braid down her back with shorter pieces loose to frame her face.

Both of them spurred their horses into motion as they began their journey towards their destination.

* * *

"Are the preparations complete for us to mobilize?" Madara asked as he joined Sasuke at their military preparing grounds. Men were bustling about getting everything ready for them to be able to move out and have the supplies that a military would need for their campaign. Sasuke and Madara observed them, paying special attention to the men that they had acquired in their last occupation. Many of them were not skilled warriors, and Sasuke had been making sure that their captains were training them adequately. So far it seemed as if they had all been fairly compliant, their skills improving, even if it wasn't quite up to par with where Sasuke would have liked them to be. In return, Madara had kept up his end of the bargain and their families had been placed in the village outside of the castle."

"We should reach Niwa in about three days time if we keep a steady yet quick pace." Sasuke informed his King. Madara nodded.

"Good time frame. I want our attack to be quick and done in the middle of the night. It should be a little bit more of an efficient operation than the last one if we have the element of surprise. We will again offer the chance to live in exchange for a pledge of allegiance. All those who refuse will be executed. From there, I plan to lure in the Senju army, and proceed with our plan of infiltrating their ranks."

Sasuke nodded. "Agreed. I will make sure that everything happens smoothly and effectively."

"I am confident you will." Madara replied. "After all, you are well aware that I will not tolerate any hesitance or weakness from you." With that, the Uchiha King turned away, retreating back towards the castle, leaving Sasuke alone with his own thoughts.

How would the Senju react to this? If they react at all? Ultimately, their goal will be to launch are large scale attack, directly on the Senju capital.

Sasuke's mind once again drifted off with Sakura's pink hair and viridian eyes invading his memory.

* * *

It was evening by the time both Naruto and Sakura could make out the lights of the Hyuuga capital town, Hyugashi.

Compared to the Senju capital, it was modest, but Sakura could still tell that the Hyuuga capital held a considerable amount of wealth. The town was located in a deep forested area, and seemed as if it was well hidden, the deep greens and browns of the trees beautiful.

The streets were lively with the evening time, residents hurrying to finish the last chores and commitments of their day, as well as finding a place to buy or eat their supper.

After passing the main area of the town, Sakura noticed that the lively noise of the town died down and the buildings were becoming bigger, and more lavish in nature.

A traditional style house stood in front of them, A large stone wall surrounding the house and probably the lands around it. Sakura followed Naruto has he continued to guide her towards the large house.

They reached wooden gates in which two guards stood watch.

"It's you again." One said, recognizing Naruto as he brought his horse to a stop, quickly dismounting the creature and petting her head.

"Yes, We've come to see Hinata." Naruto answered calmly. "I brought a friend with me this time."

"Of course, go ahead into the compound. Hinata said that she was expecting you. As far the woman goes…" The guard seemed as if he was about the deny Sakura entry, when suddenly the wooden gates opened and a raven haired woman emerged from behind them with light pale lavender eyes.

"It is okay, let them both through." Her voice was soft, feminine, but firm as she lifted up her hand to the guard. The guard immediately stood down, and before Sakura knew it, the raven haired woman immediately ran up to Naruto, embracing him in a hug.

"I've missed you."

Her voice was soft, and Sakura was barely able to make out what it was that she had said to her blonde friend.

Naruto hugged her back, a smile on his face.

"Sorry, I meant to come a little earlier but some things came up." He replied, clearly pleased that she had missed him so much. Sakura almost felt a little awkward watching something that she felt should have probably been more intimate.

"Sorry, forgive my rudeness." The woman apologized as she softly pulled herself away from Naruto, turning her attention to Sakura.

"N-no, it's okay." Sakura deflected, feeling like she was the one who should have been sorry.

"I'm Hinata Hyuuga. I'm the daughter of Hizashi Hyuuga, the head of our clan. Please come in. I've been expecting Naruto. He said that he might be bringing a friend."

"Ah. I'm Sakura Haruno. It's very nice to meet you. I'm sorry if I am intruding. Naruto insisted that me coming along would be okay."

"It is no problem. Come on in. I am sure you both are tired and hungry." Hinata exclaimed, a soft smile gracing her face. Hinata was beautiful in a soft and alluring way but what caught Sakura's attention the most was the pale lavender of her eyes. She knew that staring would be rude, but she had never seen anything like it before. She did not have dark pupils at all. Her iris and pupils were the same color.

"Here, I'll take both the horses and get the secured at the table. Go ahead and follow Hinata in." Naruto offered, a grin on his face. He seemed really happy to be here.

"Okay, thanks."

Sakura gave a quick nod to Naruto before joining Hinata in following her into their home… well, it was more like a mansion.

"Naruto has told me quite a bit about you." Hinata began, making small talk to try and break the awkward silence between them.

"He has?" Sakura asked, curious as to what Naruto might have said about her.

"He said that you were once a prisoner of the Uchiha and that well…" It seemed as if she was have a difficult time figuring out how to word the rest of her sentence, as if she was worried that what she might say would offend Sakura.

"You don't have to worry about offending me. Everyone kind of tries to tiptoe around what happened as if the mention of it would cause me to become hysterical. I promise it won't. Naruto has been a good friend to me." Sakura replied, a small smile on her face.

"Naruto is a good person." Hinata agreed.

"He thinks that of you, too." Sakura admitted. She could see a light blush form on the Hyuuga's face at the mention of it.

"There you ladies are." Naruto exclaimed, joining the two of them and breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"I made you ramen. I know it's your favorite." Hinata announced. A big smile once again returned to Naruto's face.

"You did! Yes! Your ramen is the best! I am so hungry!" Naruto exclaimed, clearly excited. Once again Hinata's face turned red at Naruto's praise.

It wasn't long before Hinata pushed open a door that opened up into a dining room, and immediately Sakura noticed an old man was already sitting at the table, sipping on what was probably some tea. For a second, Sakura caught how uncomfortable Naruto immediately became upon seeing the older male.

"Naruto is here, father." Hinata announced, motioning for both Sakura and Naruto to go take a seat.

The expression on the old man was stern, but still gentle.

"Naruto." He acknowledged.

"Hizashi. Thank you, for having us." Naruto replied firmly, though Sakura caught the nervousness in his voice.

The old man then looked at Sakura, his expression becoming somewhat softer and intrigued.

"A friend of Naruto's?" He inquired. Sakura nodded.

"I-I'm Sakura Haruno, nice to meet you." Sakura replied, bowing in respect.

"Ah, the prisoner that Naruto saved. I've heard a bit about you." Hizashi replied. "Welcome into my home. Hashirama and I are close friends."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"Of course. Don't hesitate to ask if you need something."

Naruto and Sakura both sat at the table as Hinata disappeared into what Sakura assumed was probably the kitchen to put their ramen bowls together.

"So, Hashirama tells me that you are joining the next campaign." Hizashi began, clearly speaking to Naruto. His voice was direct and firm, and Sakura could almost audibly hear Naruto gulp.

"Yes."

"I suppose it's good that you have decided to take action."

"On the frontlines or not, I have been doing everything I can to aid the Senju." Naruto replied. Hizashi's mouth was set in a firm line as if he was refraining from saying something else.

"Ramen's ready!" Hinata announced, bringing in a bowl first to her father, in which he mumbled a thank you before she disappeared back into the kitchen, only to reemerge with two more bowls that she set down in front of Naruto and Sakura.

Immediately, Sakura could feel her mouth water at the aroma of the dish. Hinata's cooking did indeed smell delicious.

She once again disappeared into the kitchen, once again emerging with one more bowl of ramen that she set down in front of her before seating herself at the table.

"Where's Hanabi?" Hinata asked softly.

"Out for dinner. She said she would be back later tonight." Hizashi replied, seemingly unconcerned.

"Oh, okay. I made her some too but I can put it away for later." Hinata replied.

"Let's eat." Hizashi thanked. With that, everyone began digging into their ramen.

Dinner was mostly silent except for a few questions that Hizashi asked here and there between bites, but for the most part it seemed that everyone was fairly hungry, and content with filling their mouths with food.

When dinner came to an end, Hizashi excused himself, thanking his daughter for the meal, and bidding all of them goodnight.

"I swear I irritate your father every time I come to see you." Naruto began after Hizashi had left.

"Don't take it too personally. I'm sorry that he is hard on you, but I think deep down he is fond of you."

"Well he sure has a funny way of showing it." Naruto mumbled in reply causing Hinata to giggle in response.

After dinner, Hinata sent Naruto off to go take a bath, leaving Sakura alone with Hinata once again. Out of politeness, Sakura offered to help clean up after dinner.

"So, you have a sister? Older or younger?" Sakura asked, trying to make light small talk.

"Younger. I'm sure you will meet Hanabi while you are here."

"And your mother?" Sakura inquired. Hinata went quiet for a moment which immediately made Sakura uncomfortable and regret asking.

"She passed away a few years ago." Hinata answered quietly.

"O-oh. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"It's okay. It's so sweet of you to say that when I know how recently you lost your father."

"I miss him… immensely. Being without a mother, or parents can be really hard." Sakura admitted quietly.

"It can be." Hinata agreed.

"So, you and Naruto. I wanted to ask you how you two met." Sakura continued, changing the subject from the death of family members.

"Oh Naruto? Well, that's kind of an interesting story." Hinata began. "Actually it was my father who found him. He was just a young boy. I remember my dad brought him home unconscious. He was really dirty and had a fever. We are the same age, so he stayed here and we grew up together for a while, but he was kind of rough as a teenager. My father and him often didn't get along, so he left."

"Wow, really?" Sakura asked, intrigued by Hinata's answer. Now some of the things she knew about Naruto's history seemed to piece together in a comprehensible timeline. "So then, how did he end up back here?"

Immediately Hinata's face flushed. "W-well erm… a couple years ago, Hanabi was kidnapped and taken ransom by a pretty powerful rogue group. My father was ready to send out all our trained soldiers to go save her, but Naruto just showed up here with Hanabi. My father and Naruto still won't really talk much, but I know my father cares about him. When Naruto heard that it was Hanabi that had been taken he didn't hesitate to go save her." Hinata paused for a moment before continuing. "I was really upset when Hanabi had been taken, and was so relieved when it was the two of them back. Naruto was just as I always remembered him, although he really grew tall! We went back to staying in touch after that. Naruto really cares about people, and he is stubborn and doesn't give up. I really admire that about him."

"Sounds like you really care about him, Hinata. He really needs someone like you. He's lucky."

"Y-you think so?" Hinata wondered. Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, I do."

For a moment, a jealous feeling welled up in Sakura's chest. She could tell that both Hinata and Naruto considered each other to be someone precious to them and for a moment she wished she had something like that.

For the first time in a while, despite everything that had happened, Sakura couldn't help but feel as if she was alone.

* * *

The march for Niwa had taken as long as Sasuke had originally anticipated, though there were still a few hiccups along the way. He was never a fan of having to move an army of soldiers, and even less patient when it came to any sort of complaining.

It was midway through the third day, and Sasuke knew that it wasn't going to leave anyone with much time to rest before they put their plan into action that night.

He had been cautious in making sure they would intervene any Senju scouts that had been found along their pathway. Curiously, none had come, which left Sasuke under the suspicion that things would most likely go without a problem from them for the time being, but also on higher alert. There was always the possibility that the Senju were plotting something.

It was another hour before they found an area to settle everyone, and set up their base camp. It was still two miles from the Niwa camp, just far enough for them to probably avoid any suspicion so long as they kept everything low key. It was important that they be close enough to strike and retreat in a reasonable amount of time and distance.

Not only that, but their separation from the Niwa village would be important in order for Madara's plan to work.

"All captains, relay to the men to begin setting up camp. Everyone is expected to uphold their duties. See to it that everything is done smoothly. You do not want to deal with my wrath." Sasuke announced, commanding the Uchiha army. While Sasuke had been situated at the helm of the army, Madara had been situation towards the middle bulk in moving mass, a typical protection strategy.

It was only a few minutes before Madara joined Sasuke by his side, the both of them observing the setup of the camp. It was dusk and the sun would be settling soon to make way for the night and the reign of the moon.

"Shall we finish going over my strategy?" Madara asked, though Sasuke knew that it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. Everything should be finalized before we mobilize. I do not want there to be any room for error."

"Good. Have them set up the command tent immediately. We can finalize our plans while the men finish setting up the camp." Madara instructed. Sasuke nodded, immediately motioning for Madara's wishes to be carried out.

When the command tent was built to completion, Madara and Sasuke entered it, with Sasuke explicitly notifying his captains that work was to continue proceeding, and that it must be done quickly. Once again he made the consequences of his displeasure apparent should his expectations not be met.

"I expect that you will be able to direct my plan without fail." Madara began as the two of them stood at a makeshift table in the middle of the tent that held a map on it.

"Yes. It won't be a problem." Sasuke affirmed.

"Clearly, we are going to have to outsmart the Senju if we wish to win this war. A trap to lure them in, and planting decoys that can eradicate any of the higher ups in his army will be very beneficial to us."

"You are wanting to use Niwa villagers who would pledge their loyalty to you in order to infiltrate the Senju?" Sasuke stated.

"Yes."

"How can we guarantee that they won't flee to the Senju for safety?"

"We will be holding their families of course, under the false pretense that they will be under our protection. The Niwa and Senju have never had a particularly strong relationship so loyalty shouldn't be an issue."

"An attack from within."

"Indeed. We will overtake the town in the night. Again, we will ask for the loyalty of the Niwa men in exchange for their family's protection under the Uchiha clan. Those who refuse will be given an ultimatum. At this point, we will need something to bait the Senju into coming. Those who choose not to join us will mostly likely try to flee to the Senju for protection. I plan to plant some of our loyal Niwa villagers among them."

"So, the Senju probably won't necessarily be expecting the deception…." Sasuke trailed off.

Either way, Sasuke had a bad feeling about all of this. While Madara's plan was certainly cunning, it would probably still end up in mass bloodshed, not that Sasuke cared about that.

However, the Uchiha General just couldn't shake a gut feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong.

* * *

It came in the late of night. Sakura had been asleep soundly when frantic nocking came at her guest bedroom door.

It was just the second night since both her and Naruto had come to stay with Hyuuga.

"Hold up, I'm coming." Sakura called as she hurriedly threw on a robe that she had left beside her bed side.

The knocking was still impatient, which served to irritate Sakura at who would be so inconsiderate this late in the night.

Opening the door, she was instantly met with a panicked Naruto which in turn got her adrenaline pumping.

"What's wrong Naruto? Are you in trouble?" Sakura asked, suddenly wide awake. Naruto was panting as if he had hurriedly rushed to her room.

"The Uchiha have made a move against the Niwa. Hashirama has sent out his army for immediate intervention. They should get there in about a half day. We have to leave now!" He exclaimed.

"O-okay! I will get my stuff!" Sakura exclaimed, now in full panic mode herself.

"Just grab the essentials! Leave the rest here. Hinata won't mind, I promise." Naruto continued. "I am going to go get the horses ready. It's going to be a long ride, but we are going to have to ride fast and all the way through." Sakura nodded to Naruto, indicating that she understood what he said as he rushed off and she rushed back into her room to grab the essentials. Her personal bag, and the outfit she had chosen as a medic.

Quickly throwing off her sleeping clothes, she threw on her black mock neck sleeveless shirt and black mid calf length pants to match. She also put on her black fingerless gloves and tied her hair back in a long messy braid with her favorite red ribbon. Pulling on her black sandals, she quickly threw on her tan coat and grabbed her go bag as she rushed out to meet Naruto.

She found Naruto ready to go, their horses saddled up and waiting. Sakura made out Hinata's form in the dark night and could hear hushed voices between them, though she wasn't entirely sure what was being said.

For a moment, she once again felt like an intruder looking into something private, especially when Naruto kissed her on the forehead.

"Be safe." Hinata pleaded softly, with Naruto stupidly grinning with confidence.

"I will. I always am." He replied. Sakura wasn't sure if he was truly that unconcerned about his well-being, or if he was putting on an act for the raven haired woman.

"I promise if anything happens to Naruto, I will do everything I can to make sure this idiot comes back in one piece." Sakura added, interrupting their goodbyes. At first they seemed a little caught off guard that someone had been watching their exchange.

"Ah, thank you." Hinata gave a small smile. Though Sakura had not spent much time with Hinata, she could see why Naruto liked her so much. She had also shown Hinata her healing ability when they had been out in the town and stumbled across a kid who had scraped up his knee pretty good.

"Hey now, I'm the one who promised I wouldn't get you into any trouble." Naruto retorted.

With that, they bid their last goodbye to Hinata, both Sakura and Naruto mounting their horses and spurring them into motion in the dead of the night. The moon was a crescent which didn't give them much light, but at least the path was clear.

Once again adrenaline was coursing through Sakura at the suddenness of everything, and the uncertainties that lay before them.

She was beginning to wonder if she was going to regret her decision.

* * *

Phew. Well, I was originally going to make this a Sasusaku interaction chapter, but I am so sorry you are going to have to hold out until the next chapter (it will happen for sure though, I promise!)

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review, and I would really like to hear more from you guys! Especially your thoughts on what might happen or the anticipation you might be feeling! The next chapter is going to be a pretty big deal, and things are going to be getting really intense from here on out.

And as always, I do not mind constructive criticism. I always don't mind feedback on things I could improve upon.


	7. The Meeting of Opposites

Well, here we go, a third chapter in a row in three days… Maybe you will get lucky and I will upload this quickly as well!

Also for a moment, I just have to totally geek out on today's episode of Boruto… like damn. That was some epic shit! It has some of the best fight scenes that I have ever seen and it was just a freaking roller coaster of FEELS! And SO MUCH SMILING SASUKE! That Sauce is so damn badass! Even if you haven't watched Boruto, watch episode 65. That was straight up a 10/10 on animation. The director of the episode, sekibeing did a fantastic job. Can he just be in charge of animating the whole damn series please?

To answer some guest reviews:

To **ForeverUnicorn** : I was wondering where you were at my friend! I am so happy that you came back to read Ascension and for your numerous detailed reviews! Like aldsjflsdhfslfhslifhei! So glad that you were excited that there were four chapters for you to read! Thank you for your encouragement and for sharing with me your thoughts! I appreciate them so much! XD The pressure is mounting for their reunion! I am just hoping that I will be able to deliver the SasuSaku moments and hit you all in the FEELS. But like I've mentioned before, this is going to be a slow burn…

To **Guest** : Omgerd! I am so glad that you are excited about what's to come and that Sakura has finally made up her mind! I am also glad that you liked the sweet NaruHina moments. Don't worry there is going to be a BIG catalyst for him and choosing his own path in the future that you will not expect. And yes, even me as the writer just wants to get to writing all the good SasuSaku parts, but I really want this story to be compelling, so all the details must be set in place. I promise though, the SasuSaku parts in the future will be absolutely worth it. I am just hoping I will be able to meet everyone's expectations!

Also, can I just rant for a moment? If you don't have something nice to say in a review, don't bother reviewing. Like thanks for not personally attacking me, but why would you leave me a review just to Sakura bash? Like saying she should just kill herself to save her dignity? What is wrong with you? I feel so sorry for you that you literally have nothing better to do than to go out of your way to just be negative… about a fictional character. Not to mention you don't even have to the balls to leave such a bashing comment with a username. BRO. #yousadlittleperson. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. You want me to respect your opinion? Then state it in an intelligent way and with a valid reason. I'm always down for a mature discussion of differences. Also, I moderate reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related.

* * *

 **Chapter VII** : The Meeting of Opposites

* * *

 _A looming feeling_

 _A sense of knowing_

 _The embodiment of Spring_

 _Meets with Adonis_

* * *

Naruto had been completely serious when he said that they would be riding to meet with the Senju through the night. The sun had began to peak over the mountains, its bright rays beginning to light up the earth that it shone upon. At first the adrenaline rush that Sakura had initially felt in their quick departure had kept her awake, but the waiting anticipation of things had caused that rush to fade and she began to feel the drowsiness settle in. She was glad when Naruto seemed to sense her fatigue when he yelled to her that they should stop and take a small break.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Sakura asked, feeling like a burden. Naruto didn't seem fatigued like her one bit, proof of the lifestyle that he has lived.

"Yeah, I am. I've lived this lifestyle a long time Sakura, but I know you haven't. I don't need you falling off your horse because you've passed out from exhaustion." Naruto answered aloof, though it was clear that he was concerned.

"I'm sorry. I hate knowing that I am the one slowing us down." Sakura admitted.

"Don't be. It just take building up a little endurance, that's all." Naruto reassured. They brought their horses to a stop, pulling off the main road they were travelling.

"The horses probably could use a short rest, some water, and a snack anyway. A day's ride can be hard on them too." Naruto added.

"Okay."

"Also if you want, you can ride with me for a bit and get some sleep. I can manage both horses."

"Are you sure? I really feel like such a burden." Sakura pressed. Naruto shrugged.

"Well it's not like I'm going to force you, but I did promise I would take care of you either way."

"I guess… I should probably take you up on your offer. I don't want to end up becoming a burden later on either because I decided to be stubborn."

"Okay. Sounds like a deal. A few more minutes and we should probably keep going."

Sakura found a spot under a large tree that Naruto led both the horses to. They moved to opened up their packs that were attached to the horses saddles to look for a snack and grab their water canteens to give the horses a drink. Sakura petted her horse soothingly up and down its snout as it neighed at her as if to express it's thanks.

"Naruto, what do you think it's going to be like.. Out there I mean." Sakura asked quietly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between her and the blonde as they worked through their small break.

"To be honest, I don't know what we are going to expect… but it's war, Sakura. No matter what kind of mission or campaign it is, there will always be injured people, blood, and death."

"How do you… find a way to live with it?"

"Self discipline I suppose. Some people are better at compartmentalizing themselves than others. Death… fighting… it is not something I enjoy, but I do it if it means protecting those that can't protect themselves, and if it means I can change the world then I'd rather make that sacrifice in an effort to make a difference."

"I wish I was more like you in that sense." Sakura admitted softly. Naruto chuckled.

"You have a lot of guts, Sakura. You are putting yourself out there and supporting me after all, you know? I think you have a lot more potential than what you give yourself credit for."

Sakura couldn't help but smile at Naruto's kind words. He was an interesting person, that was for sure. He was mature, kind, determined, and yet childish at times too. Something about him just made her feel like she should support him in his beliefs and his want to bring change.

After all, she wanted change too.

When they decided it was time to continue, Sakura settled herself in front of Naruto as he spurred the horses back into motion. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift off into sleep.

* * *

Everything had not gone quite as smoothly as Sasuke would have liked. Their attack was executed perfectly, their onslaught brought into the middle of the night to the unsuspecting people of the Niwa who slept in their beds unaware of what was about to transpire.

The familiar sounds of screams and fear, of death… they echoed through the air like they always did whenever Sasuke went into battle.

However, a battle is not what Sasuke would call this. This was an ambush.

"How many are willing to join the Uchiha ranks?" Sasuke questioned coldly as one of his captains came to report to him.

"We are meeting a lot of resistance this time." The captain answered, his voice shaky as if he was afraid to be the one to deliver the less than desirable news. Sasuke grunted, resting his hand on Kusanagi, which caused the captain to stiffen.

"What resistance exactly?" Sasuke pressed, his voice unamused.

"Well sir, most of them have refused the bargain for their lives. They would rather die than serve the Uchiha. They have been shouting profanities and fighting back. We have them all rounded up and are guarding them but…"

"Fine. Start executing them. We will execute five of them by the hour. Let's see how many hold out before their resolve weakens. Such stubborn fools." Sasuke snarled.

"Y-yes sir!" The captain saluted, before scampering off as if just the murderous aura emanating from Sasuke would be enough to end his life.

Sasuke was less than pleased. He knew that this would cause Madara to be nothing short of irrate about this putting a hindrance on his plans.

He stalked off towards the Uchiha command tent, knowing that Madara was there, waiting for the latest news on the development of their current situation.

"Sasuke." Madara greeted as the general entered the command tent, a displeased expression on his face.

"The Niwa are putting up more of a resistance. Getting their compliance has been more difficult. I have instructed the captains to start executing those who refuse to join our ranks by the hour. Few have agreed to help and are currently being transported here, along with their families."

"You are hoping that the hourly executions will intimidate some of them into changing their minds?" Madara inquired, his voice indicating that he was more calm than Sasuke was expecting him to be.

"Perhaps it can persuade more." Sasuke answered.

"Then I suppose I don't have a problem with that course of action. Let me know when the other's get here." Madara pressed. While his exterior gave off the impression of his calmness, Sasuke could feel that his mood was becoming foul.

As if in uncanny timing, another one of Sasuke's captain's announced his presence as he entered the command tent to inform the King and General that the group of Niwa people who had decided to join the Uchiha army had arrived at their camp.

"Speaking of which." Madara muttered. "Let's go greet our new recruits, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded in understanding as he followed his King out of the command tent and into the main camp area. He noticed that the sun was beginning its descent in the sky again, and that nightfall would soon be upon them.

The two of them began to head over to the intended area where the Niwa were being held, the same captain who had informed them of their arrival leading the way when suddenly a scout came rushing into the camp, pulling his horse to a hasty stop in front of both the King and General. If Sasuke was in a more foul mood, he would have immediately punished the scout for his disregard and rudeness towards the King.

"General! My King! Forgive my impudence! But the Senju are on their way here!" He exclaimed frantically. "We are estimating that they will reach Niwa in about three hours! They are a moving fast!"

Sasuke withdrew his sword Kusanagi in a flash, ripping it from its sheath with practiced precision. "Mind your manners in front of our King!" He snarled, as he poised Kusanagi threateningly at the scout, as if in a mere second he could slice his head clean off his shoulders. "I will not let such a informal announcement go unpunished again."

The scout stiffened, clearly frightened by Sasuke's threat.

"It's fine, Sasuke. Let him be. Back to your post soldier." Madara ordered, amusement almost obvious in his tone. The scout did not hesitate when he motion his horse to carry him away, the hooves pounding loudly as he scurried out of their sight.

This had to of been good new to Madara, because even Sasuke felt his irate mood from earlier replaced by something else. Madara almost seemed too _pleased_ with the news.

"It looks like the Senju have taken the bait." Madara mentioned, a sly, murderous smirk on his face. "It's time to let the games begin."

A bad feeling once again settled itself in the pit of Sasuke's stomach, but he dared not say anything.

Madara and Sasuke arrived to where the Niwa volunteers were waiting. Indeed it did seem like there were so few of them in comparison to the amount of others that had decided to join them in their last occupations of the free clans.

The Niwa were talking amongst themselves in low whispers and frantic voices, Uchiha soldiers watching their every move warily. The soldiers all stiffened at the sight of their King and General, one of them yelling at the Niwa for their silence in the presence of the King. Indeed the Niwa quieted down, their attention now fixated on the two Uchiha men.

"If you are here, then I assume you are willing to choose to serve us, the Uchiha." Madara began, capturing the attention of the crowd. Murmurs began among them once again. "As a soldier in the Uchiha army, you will be swearing your fealty to me, and the future that the Uchiha envision."

More murmurs.

"Silence!" Sasuke commanded, his stone voice low, menacing.

"In return for your lives and loyalty, I will offer you and your family safety under the Uchiha rule." Madara continued. "You will have to earn your keep. However, to those of you who truly want to show determination and loyalty for our clan, for your family, then I have a preposition for you. You will be rewarded greatly."

Sasuke watched as the Niwa looked to each other, unsure of what to think of this proposal from the Uchiha king.

"The Senju are marching upon us as we speak. They too, will seek to expand their ranks by forcing you into submission. You all know the Senju to be a selfish people."

There was some agreements in the crowd for that. The Senju's lack of involvement often meant that they offered no aid to any of the free villages when they needed it, despite the fact that the Senju were more than wealthy and equipped enough to aid them in their times of need. The same could be said about the Uchiha, but they had one advantage in this situation. The Niwa bordered the Senju, while the Uchiha were much farther away.

"So you have a choice! Join us, the Uchiha, or become a prisoner of the Senju!"

Madara was lying straight through his teeth. These Niwa people had no idea that their comrades, their neighbors, sisters, brothers, were being slaughtered down in the village as he spoke for their defiance in joining the Uchiha. He was using a scare tactic, playing on past failed relationships between the Senju and the Niwa, and the fears of these people to get what he wanted.

"We will join you!" One Niwa man began, with others nodding in agreeance. It was amazing what people were willing to do, and how easily they could be bought if it meant survival, or even the possibility of riches. Riches like Madara was going to falsely promise should any of them decide to take on a role in his cunning, deceitful plan against the Senju.

"What reward are we talking here?" Another asked.

"Yeah if we can get instantly rich, I will do anything!" Another announced.

Sasuke could see the sadistic smirk that formed on Madara's face.

* * *

It was dark again by the time Naruto and Sakura could see the lights that came from the Senju encampment that they had received the directions to in the hasty letter that had been sent to them at the Hyuuga mansion.

The view of the tents and other stations that were set up to support the army became clearer amd larger, as they approached.

"Halt!" A soldier ordered, stopping Naruto and Sakura in their tracks as they reigned their horses to a stop, sending dirt from the earth flying up at the sudden and quick halt.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki! An advisor to Hashirama. This is Sakura Haruno. She is a medic." Naruto announced. In the dark it was hard to make out any details of faces, so the guards skepticism was understandable, but there weren't very many people with blonde or pink hair running around. Both Naruto and Sakura would be easily identifiable people.

"Ah, indeed. We've been expecting you. Go on in. You will find Kakashi Hatake in the command tent. He is spearheading this operation." The guard informed, motioning for the other guards stationed with him know that they were cleared to pass.

Sakura and Naruto spurred their horses back into the motion, entering the camp. Sakura followed behind Naruto as she assumed he would be much more familiar with where the Senju command tent would be located within the encampment.

"We stop here. We can tie the reins onto that post there." Naruto motioned to Sakura. In the ground stood a makeshift wooden post and a long trough that Sakura was familiar with when it came to caring for horses.

After the horses were secured, Sakura followed Naruto into the command tent.

"We came as soon as we got the message." Naruto announced, horridly informal, leaving Sakura almost flabbergasted at his lack of formality.

"Ah. Naruto. It's good to see you." A silver haired man answered. Suddenly Sakura realized that these two must have known each other fairly well for them to be so casual around each other. The silver haired man, whom she was presuming was Kakashi had messy spiky hair, a mask covering the lower half of his face, and a black bandana tied around his head, covering one eye as if it were an eyepatch. He too was wearing all black like Sakura and Naruto, but wore a grey plated vest as well, two swords mounted on his back crossed over each other. He looked fairly young to Sakura.

"It is good to see you too, Kakashi. It's been a while, but boy am I relieved that it is you in charge of this operation instead of one of Hashirama's other stiff-ass generals." Kakashi gave Naruto a warm and friendly pat on the back.

"Don't forget, I will still scold you plenty, Naruto." Kakashi replied, amused. He eyed Sakura.

"You must be Sakura Haruno. I've heard a bit about you." He greeted. "We are fortunate to have someone like you here."

Sakura realized that he was probably referring to her healing abilities.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Kakashi Hatake." Sakura returned the greeting, bowing in respect.

"My, so formal in comparison to this knucklehead." Kakashi noted, insulting the blonde.

"Hey. Sakura, don't let this guy fool you. He's old and a closet perv." Naruto quipped.

"All joking aside," Kakashi began, clearing his throat. "I'm glad you are here. Let's debrief you on the situation. After all, Naruto this will be your first time acting as a captain. Don't let your mentor down now."

Sakura now understood why they were so informal with each other. This was another piece of the puzzle to who Naruto was, and his past.

"So what's our mission?" Naruto asked, getting straight to the point. Sakura joined them around the table that was strewn with what she assumed were scouting reports, notes, and a map.

"So far, our scouts have reported that the Uchiha are situated about a mile south from the Niwa village. We have reports of the same patterns as you mention from the last occupation mission they carried out. They rounded up the people, and split them into two groups. One group was taken back to the main Uchiha camp, but the other group is still in the Niwa village. There is a decent amount of soldiers guarding them." Kakashi continued, but his demeanor darkened in a foreboding manner.

"So it's probably safe to assume that the Uchiha are trying to grow their ranks." Naruto concluded.

"Yes. However, something seems odd. You reported the last time that they just massacred all those who refused to join them. This time, they are keeping them as if they are prisoners." Kakashi paused for a moment.

"Prisoners?" It was Sakura who asked the question, as if she wasn't sure if what she had just heard was right. Kakashi nodded in confirmation.

"However, they are executing them. Five an hour. It seems odd, as if it is planned. For now, we have no idea what it is that Madara or his General are planning, or what they are trying to achieve with their timed executions. It's fair to say that we should definitely proceed with caution."

Naruto frowned, but Sakura could see the tension in his stance, and his clenched fists.

"So, shouldn't that give us the opportunity to save them then?" Naruto suggested confidently.

"It would seem that way." Kakashi agreed. "However, from a strategists point of view, it could be a trap."

"It could be that they are trying to scare the rest of them into submission." Sakura observed aloud, causing both the males to look at her as if surprised at her suggestion.

"What makes you think that?" Kakashi asked, suddenly interested in what Sakura had to say. This caused the pinkette to flush with embarrassment, especially at her outburst when she had no place in war strategies, or experience.

"Um…" Sakura trailed off, unsure about sharing her opinion. "It's just that… with the situation the Uchiha are in, trying to build the numbers of their ranks, it would make sense that they would try a scare tactic if the villagers refused to join them. The 'spare your life' offer works for some, but it doesn't work on those who would rather die with their pride and dignity still intact." She answered.

"A true observation, and philosophical." Kakashi agreed, seemingly impressed. "What brought you to that conclusion?"

Sakura felt a little confident and surprised that a general in the army was asking her opinion. Naruto gave her a reassuring nod to answer Kakashi's question.

"I um, read a little bit about it in war psychology books." Sakura admitted. While she had been staying with Hashirama, she had spent quite a bit of her time in his library which was filled with history books. Initially she was researching any history on the Senju and Uchiha specifically, but had come across other interesting things as well.

"So, it's possible that they are doing timed executions to weaken the villagers resolve and break them... To force their survival instincts out." Kakashi evaluated.

"Okay, so that's a good theory and all, but that still leaves those innocent people down there helpless. Shouldn't they be our first priority before trying to engage the Uchiha?" Naruto asked, hasty in his assumption.

"We can't act rashly, Naruto. I agree that they need to be saved, but there's still the possibility of something we aren't seeing." Kakashi rebuked.

"We have the advantage of being situated to the North. If we launched a direct assault to distract them and then had two more smaller companies from the west and east to pincer the Uchiha, we should be able to save the villagers with minimal casualties." Naruto suggested.

"I am sure that the Uchiha are fully aware of our presence by now." Kakashi contemplated. "They are also very aware that our forces greatly outnumber theirs, so it is unlikely that they will launch a direct attack on our encampment. However, it has probably put them on much higher alert. That General of Madara's is thorough and an excellent strategist."

Naruto snorted as if irritated by Kakashi's praise of Sasuke. However, Sakura's chest tightened up and her heart rate began to quicken at the mention of the Uchiha General.

Kakashi mentioning him probably meant that Sasuke was here.

Once again, she was standing on the opposite side of him, and she knew all too well just how dangerous that man was. Sakura couldn't help but take a shaky breath in, his tall sculpted figure, the harsh lines of his features, his messy, spiky black hair and crimson eyes flashing in her mind.

She still remembered exactly what he looked like. She couldn't forget him when he haunted her dreams.

Sakura didn't understand it, but now that she was here, standing a mere few miles away from where Sasuke stood, part of her was curious to see him after everything she had learned.

The other part of her was absolutely terrified.

"Then what is it you suggest, Kakashi?" Naruto pressed. It was obvious that he was eager to take action.

"Both you and Sakura have given me valuable input. I do agree that the villagers do need to be dealt with first before we even think about engaging the Uchiha army. If we directly engage the Uchiha army, then it is likely that we will lose any survivors." Kakashi noted.

"What if we attacked them on both fronts?" Naruto suggested. "We have more than enough forces to deal with both. The Uchiha will probably suspect that we will make a move on the villagers first. They probably won't expect an assault on both fronts though."

"I would typically agree with you, however, that does leave us left at the camp at more risk. Hashirama was not willing to send an overly large part of the army out of the Senju territory. Not more than we need. We are easily matched at the same capacity as the Uchiha. Reinforcements would never get here on time, so we must be resourceful."

"However, with the acquisitions, the Uchiha troops that have been drafted in are probably not very skilled at this point. The Uchiha will be too occupied, and quite frankly, they probably would not be able to spread themselves out that thin. Our main camp would only be vulnerable until the company that goes to the village to rescue the prisoners return."

"True point. We do need to act fast, and I think that is a logical strategy. Give me some time to think it over. For now, why don't you and Sakura go get settled? Either way, we will mobilize within the next couple of hours."

* * *

It hadn't taken much for Madara to convince men to sacrifice themselves for his plan, even if their motives were built upon lies.

It was proof of just how feeble human nature was, and how violent humanity was when it came to survival - to coming out on top.

Not that Sasuke himself was an exception to that. No, he was far from.

It was obvious that the Senju would probably make their first move against his soldiers that were stationed directly in the Niwa village, keeping those who refused to join them captive, and following his orders of executing resistors every hour.

To some degree, his tactic worked. About half of those who originally resisted them had now surrendered to them, swearing their loyalty to the Uchiha.

However, some had proven their stubborness, their resilience and pride… just like _her._

Their decoys had been planted.

Madara's plan was just waiting to bring their results to fruition. The next move was definitely in the Senju's hands now. Sasuke could feel the anticipation. All of his confusion, all of his anger, he was ready to take it on the Senju and cut down all those that dared to defy him and stand in his way. This is what made Sasuke Uchiha who he was.

He was waiting, albeit almost impatiently, but when a scout once again came rushing towards him, he knew that it was time.

Sasuke knew that this fight was just beginning.

"Sir. General." The scout greeted, bowing to him. "The Senju! They have overrun the village! They are requesting backup down there!"

"Order a retreat." Sasuke stated flatly, causing the scout to have a questioning expression cross his face before he quickly replaced it, not wanting his doubt to be seen by the General.

"Y-yes, sir. Right away." The scout immediately turned and ran off, eager to carry out Sasuke's command out of fear, he was sure.

A retreat was the most reasonable response given the situation. Sasuke was well aware how easily the Senju would overpower the soldiers stationed at the village, but maintaining their control over the village was not the objective for now.

The Senju were taking their bait almost too easily.

Suddenly a loud explosion boomed through the air, causing Sasuke's ears to ring as a result. Immediately in response, he reacted defensively, withdrawing Kusanagi expertly from its hilt as he tried to ignore the headache that was coming on as a result.

Where the hell did that explosion come from?!

He could hear screaming to the east of the camp, and the all too familiar sounds of metal clashing, singing through the air. Then, the disgustingly familiar scent of blood. Sasuke immediately took off in that direction. Had the Senju been so bold as to attack their camp as well?

Sasuke could feel his anger, his fury building as he headed towards the commotion, his onyx eyes turning the color of red that so many feared.

He would slaughter them all.

* * *

"Status report!" Kakashi demanded as Senju scouts returned the the camp.

"The villagers are secured! We are bringing the refugees here are we speak." The scout answered. "However it didn't seem that the Uchiha put up much of a fight. We were met with some resistance, however they all suddenly retreated. Kakashi raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Why would the Uchiha have retreated from the village so easily? He had indeed sent a company straight for the Uchiha camp, but something didn't seem right. What were the Uchiha playing at? What was their move? What was he missing in the big picture of things?

Then suddenly it dawned on him, causing his eyes to widen in panic. Without another word Kakashi took off sprinting towards the Medic tent. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have anticipated this? He had sent Naruto with the company to attack the Uchiha camp.

This was bad.

* * *

Sakura could feel the mounting panic, the sadness, the guilt…

It was almost like looking in a mirror. The state of some of these people reminded her of past things she would rather forget.

She had to be grateful that it seemed like most of the villagers had sustained minor injuries, though she knew that the biggest injuries would be to their mind and hearts.

She was lost in her own little world, healing what physical hurt she could for these people, offering small quiet words of condolences and assurance of their safety.

It wasn't until a high pitched scream pierced the air that suddenly Sakura jumped, paralyzed as she tried to convince herself that she was just imagining it. Suddenly it was chaos. People were running. People were clamoring to get out of the medic tent as quickly as possible.

She had to react. She had to go look. The screams continued.

Willing her body to move, she ran out of the tent only to be met with the sight of a few lifeless villagers, along with a few of the Senju guards that had been placed within the camp and by her medic tent.

That dread, that bad feeling.

There before her stood a group of men, each equipped with small daggers, blood dripping from them, blood covering their clothes and face from the red liquid they spilled.

Run. She had to run. She needed to tell the others who were still nearby to run, and at first nothing would come out of her throat. She couldn't make a sound.

"What's a cute little thing like you doing here?" One of them questioned as their attention turned from her.

A step back. That was all Sakura could will her body to do in response.

"I think she's one of the Senju medics. She came running out that tent! The tent they were taking us to." Another man observed.

"Hold up, didn't that King say that if we were by chance to come across a woman with pink hair and green eyes that we were to kill her on sight?"

"Hey yeah! She has pink hair and green eyes!"

Another step back. Sakura began to tremble. Run. She had to run. Tentatively she reached her hand towards her back right hip. Naruto had given her a small dagger just in case, telling her that she shouldn't have to use it, but that he couldn't leave her without anything. She had to make sure that it was still there.

Sakura had to find Kakashi! Naruto led the company against the Uchiha camp, but she never imagined that they would be welcoming killers into their camp with the villagers who refused to by ruled by the Uchiha. She didn't expect that they would use their own men as decoys and sacrifice them.

 _Run, Sakura. Run!_

The men inched closer.

She had to run. She had to get away. If only she had finished figuring out what Tsunade was teaching her when it came to use her chakra as a weapon. As her strength.

She had been to rash. Too naive in thinking that she wouldn't need to learn it right away. Too inexperienced in defending herself…

"Don't come closer!" Sakura shouted, trying to put on a brave front. The men were unfazed by her outburst and feeble attempt as they continued to close in on her.

In one last effort to will her body to run, she managed to move her legs, taking off in the direction of the command tent. She had to find Kakashi! He had to be okay somewhere!

She could hear feet pounding into the earth behind her. She knew that they were chasing her, but she couldn't look back, she was afraid to. From the sound of it, she could tell that not all of them were pursuing her, but a few of them were.

"Why you little wench!" One of the men growled.

Suddenly Sakura felt her head yank back, a burning feeling in her skull as she suddenly felt rough hands grabbing at her arms. Someone had caught her by her hair.

"Let go!" Sakura screamed, trying to yank her hands out of their grasp as they tried to wrangle her writhing body.

"Just stab her and get it over with!" Another one growled, but this only caused Sakura to fight harder, thrashing against them, kicking.

She managed to nail one right between the groin causing him to drop to his knees and curse at her as he let her right arm go.

As if in instinct she reached back for her dagger, the one that Naruto had given her before they could grab her arm again.

All she could think about was getting away, escaping, no matter the cost.

"Your dead you-"

It was now or never!

Bringing the dagger to her hair where the man held her braided length, she cut through it in one swift motion, feeling the pressure immediately releasing from her head. The man had been pulling so hard that for a moment, he was sent backwards from the force as she turned and kicked the man that still held her left arm in the groin, as hard as she could.

He immediately released her arm, and Sakura was free. She needed to run. She didn't have long to put distance between them, especially with the one who had stumbled down. Sakura clutched the dagger in her hand ready to take off again when suddenly the sight of silver almost flashed past her and all she heard was the last sounds of men being struck down behind her.

"Sakura are you okay?" A familiar voice sounded, and for the first time, Sakura felt relief as tears began to cloud her vision, threatening to fall.

Kakashi had found her.

"I-I'm fine." Sakura managed to choke out, willing herself to hold back the tears. She wasn't going to let herself cry. Not now.

Kakashi knelt beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder, as if trying to comfort her. Sakura could see the curious expression that crossed on his face when he noticed that her hair was missing, and that it was now the length of her shoulders and a mess, though if he acknowledged it, he did not mention it.

"Come with me. Most of our soldiers have vacated the camp. We are going to regroup with Naruto and the rest of the company at the village." Kakashi offered, helping Sakura up. "I'm sorry, I should have anticipated something like this."

"We all could have. It's no one's fault."

Sakura was honest in saying that to the Senju General. What a mess this had turned into, and she dreaded how much worse it was going to get.

* * *

It did not matter who stood in Sasuke's way, he cut them down without hesitation, one by one, lifeless bodies falling to the earth, their blood spilling upon the dirt.

He should have expected this from the Senju. Their complacency had allowed his ego to become a little big, for his usually unflawed plans become reckless.

Madara would be furious with him later, and Sasuke was most likely going to receive the entirety of his wrath. Even if this whole thing was initially Madara's idea, it was Sasuke's job to carry it out perfectly.

This only served to piss the Uchiha off more.

The fighting had become a nightmare. Everyone was scattered, Senju and Uchiha alike. At this point, Sasuke had almost made is way to the Niwa village. He had no idea where Madara was, but he was sure that he was ruthlessly fighting all the same. Madara was the only one to rival Sasuke, and even then, Sasuke wasn't sure if he would ever be on par with the skills that Madara possessed.

The air had only continued to thicken with the smell of death and bloodshed, and the screams and yelling of fighting along with metal as it tore through flesh and other metal alike was all Sasuke had heard or seen for the last few hours.

The village was now where it seemed all the fighting had centered.

It was there that he spotted a familiar color of blonde, and the familiar orange clothes and armor of someone he swore he would end the next time they met.

Naruto was fighting, taking down his opponents all the same like him, ruthless in his own form of combat.

Had that fool finally been drafted into fighting directly for the Senju? Or was it something else? He had never seen the blonde on the direct battlefield before, not unless he was there for his own motives. Naruto had always been a drifter, living by his own rules.

A man to his left, a soldier to his right, Sasuke cut them all down the same as he rushed towards Naruto. At a minimum he would not disappoint Madara for a second time.

Naruto must have noticed him, because by the time they had both cleared out the area, Senju and Uchiha alike, they were almost back to back before pushing away to stand opposite of each other on the field.

"I wasn't sure if you were ever going to show up, Sasuke!" Naruto taunted, an overconfident smirk on his face as he held his own Katana in a stance, ready to strike.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke snarled. "Have you finally grown out of your cowardice?"

"Tch. At least I can make my own choices, and live by my own rules."

"You know nothing of my choices!" Sasuke spat back, making the first move at Naruto, their swords, Kurama and Kusanagi clashing against each other, the sound of their metal meeting loud.

The two continued to exchange blows, the metal of their weapons meeting time and time again.

"Sasuke! Look around you! Is this who you are? You once had pride, but now you will do anything to gain power!" Naruto yelled.

"I said shut up Naruto! Don't speak of things you do not know!"

"Sasuke as your friend, I am telling you that you have a choice!"

Their swords met again, however this time Sasuke pushed away, quickly adapting his footing so that he could swing up at Naruto who hadn't expected his quick change in motion. Naruto narrowly missed Sasuke's incoming blade, a small cut on his face as he dodged what could have been far worse.

Naruto's cut began to bleed. Sasuke was perfect in his form as ever, his face cold and stoic, his crimson eyes baring the hate that he held.

"Sasuke, you gave me a choice long ago. We all have a choice." Naruto begged calmly, the two of them standing opposite of each other as if in a stand-off.

"You've made your choice, and I've made mine." Sasuke answered.

"Is that _your_ choice, Sasuke? Or do you think that it's your choice because you don't know if there is a different choice?"

Sasuke scoffed. "What different choice would there be, Naruto? In this world, it's killed or be killed. All of us are slaves to our hate and power."

"Your wrong! We don't have to be!"

"No, that is the nature of humanity."

"So you would serve Madara, you would continue to spread the hate and desire for power? Why?!" Naruto spat back, his frustration building. The menacing look on Sasuke's face only darkened.

Sasuke was about to answer Naruto, but instead the sound of two horses approaching, it's hooves loud and heavy against the earth came sprinting their way, causing both of the men to look in its direction.

Pink.

Sasuke suddenly felt his chest become unbearably heavy, as if someone had punched the air out of him.

"Sakura."

Crimson met viridian for the first time in months.

* * *

Sakura Haruno was just as Sasuke Uchiha remembered her.

Sakura's heart was racing wildy in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her body without restraint as her an Kakashi made their way to where a large number of the Senju horses were kept. This was going to be the fastest way to get to the Niwa village.

The order for retreat and evacuation had been enacted, but Sakura ended up insisting on going with Kakashi to go find Naruto. She had to make sure that he was okay, and that they were all going to make it out okay.

She followed closely behind Kakashi who had both katana's withdrawn to cut down anyone in their path.

Sakura couldn't help but be left in admiration at the talent of the Senju general. His movements were perfect, as if he was familiar with them and had been for many years. He guided the horse with just his feet.

They passed so much death. The color of red staining the earth, staining the corpses that lay lifeless on the cold Earth scattered on the battlefield between the Uchiha and the Senju.

The village was coming into view. It definitely seemed that the bulk of the fighting had ended up in the now destroyed Niwa village that was bathed in death.

A flash of blonde and orange. That was definitely Naruto. Sakura felt a small amount of immediate relief in knowing that he was still alive, that he was still fighting.

But then another color caught her attention.

It wasn't like the dark red of blood.

No. It was the crimson red that only belonged to _him_.

Red, black, orange and blonde clashed.

Sakura trembled. She couldn't breathe. The closer her and Kakashi got to the duo the faster her heart pounded in her chest, beating loudly in her ears.

He looked just as she remembered him. Dark, his hair fashioned in impossibly messy spikes, god-like with eerie crimson red eyes that she swore could pierce right through her very soul.

This time however, with everything that she now knew about Sasuke Uchiha…

He was human to her.

Viridian eyes met with crimson for the first time in months. Suddenly, Sakura felt like she was going to pass out then and there.

"S-Sasuke?"

"Sakura! Kakashi!" Naruto called, his voice almost a panic as if he didn't want them to be there. Sakura was suddenly pulled back to reality. It was just months ago that the three of them had faced each other on the grounds of Uchiha castle, and here they were again, as if their fate had been sealed long ago.

"Naruto, the order was sent out to retreat!" Kakashi reminded the blonde, though Naruto seemed entirely unconcerned about that.

"Never mind that! Why did you bring Sakura here?!" Naruto fumed, his stance now changing to the defensive.

"Naruto! I couldn't leave without you!" Sakura protested. Suddenly, black and red lunged at Naruto. Naruto deflected the blow.

" You need to go! Now!" Naruto ordered. "You should not have come here!"

"Naruto-"

However, just then Sasuke's blade pierced Naruto, straight through the stomach causing the blonde to grunt in pain, blood spitting from his mouth.

Without hesitation, Sakura threw herself off her horse, Kakashi's yell for her drowned out in her ears as she rushed towards both Naruto and Sasuke.

This couldn't be happening. She couldn't let it end like this.

"S-Sakura, no!" Naruto rasped out in an attempt to stop the pinkette from coming any closer.

Sakura's vision began to become blurry. The wetness of them when she blinked made her realize that they were tears. She watched as Sasuke pulled his blade from Naruto. As if her mind and body was working on its own, Sakura could feel her chakra pooling to her right fist, the familiar burn of it coursing through her body and to her arm.

"This is the end for you, Naruto." Sasuke threatened, raising his sword up in preparation to deliver the final blow.

"NO!" Sakura screamed jumping between them. In reflex, like her body knew exactly what to do, she threw her fist into the ground, a loud crack ripping through the air. The ground began to crumble, dust flying up into the air, causing Sasuke to hastily jump away in defense, putting distance between them, his red eyes wide with shock at the raw strength Sakura revealed.

When the dust settled, emerald eyes glared at crimson ones. A rift stood between Sasuke and Sakura, who cradled a wounded Naruto in her arms.

Sasuke knew that look. It was the same look that captivated him in a way he never understood. The fierceness and determination in a woman that questioned and defied him.

However this time, he saw something else there too. Something he didn't recognize. Something he didn't know.

"Stay away from him!" Sakura screamed. Sasuke could tell that she was sobbing, tears streaming down her face as she gasped for air. He didn't know why, but something felt like it was twisting in his chest. This was also the first time that he realized that her hair was short. It was completely uneven and for a moment he wondered what on Earth had happened.

"Don't test me." Sasuke answered coldly. "You are my enemy as well, Sakura."

"I'm not Sasuke!" Sakura shouted. "I never was! Naruto doesn't want to hurt you! He only wants to help you!"

"And what do you know?!" Sasuke snarled. If there wasn't a huge rip in the Earth between them, Sasuke was sure he would have lunged at her right then and there, ending Sakura's life.

"Enough to know that in there somewhere is a good person, Sasuke!"

"You know nothing of what you speak of!"

"I do!" Sakura argued. "Because I believe in Naruto. I believe in who he says you are!"

For a moment, Sasuke faltered. What had happened in the last two months? How close had Naruto and Sakura become? How much about him did Sakura actually know?

"Sakura, we have to go!" Kakashi warned, interrupting both Sasuke and Sakura from their attention on each other. Kakashi brought the horses to Sakura and Naruto, carefully hoisting the blonde onto one of them.

Sakura just stared at Sasuke, as if she was trying to see something that wasn't there, and Sasuke realized that this Sakura was different than the one he knew two months ago. She challenged his gaze with her own, even though tears fell freely from her viridian eyes.

This Sakura was stronger.

This Sakura was capable of making him question everything he was.

This Sakura was dangerous and beautiful.

* * *

Either you all hate me now, or you are seriously curious as to what is going to happen next.

Not gonna lie, I definitely felt the pressure on this one. I know that I have left you guys waiting for their reunion, and it probably isn't quite what you expected, but this is a HUGE catalyst for what is to come.

Did anyone catch the parallels?

Also, for those of you who wanted a badass Sakura, I hope that this gives you just a little taste of how much of a badass she is going to turn out to be. From here on out, we are going to see quite a bit of character growth, for both Sakura and Sasuke.

As for the SasuSaku moments, they are coming! Expect a big development in two to three chapters between them.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has been reading this fic, even if a bunch of you are silent readers. I really do appreciate your thoughts and reviews, and would especially like feedback on this chapter. Definitely interested to hear your thoughts!


	8. The Foreshadow of Truths

So earlier today, I thought I would entertain the idea of going back and reading some of my original fanfiction works on this site that I wrote way back in like 2010 under a different penname (I wont reveal that penname out of sheer embarassment, lol) and oh my gosh! I was laughing my ass off. Wow. My writing has come so far since then. I can't believe that people actually read my old stuff and I went through all the reviews that I hadn't seen in the last few years, and the reviews alone were worth it. (The flames were so damn funny.) #DEAD #CRINGEWORTHY

To Guest Reviewer **ForeverUnicorn** : Thanks so much for your honest review my friend! The last chapter was indeed difficult to write, as I definitely felt some pressure towards making a reunion between Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke what everyone expected… however I am glad that you felt that it was a good chapter! In regards to explanation, personally I think I just suck at writing fighting scenes, so I am glad they ended up being adequate! Yes, Sakura's intelligence is a big part of her character in my opinion, so it would be a shame to leave it out. Her intelligence will show the more confident she becomes. As far as Sasuke goes, MAJOR developments coming up in the next couple chapters, but I don't want to spoil it. Sasuke's reaction to Sakura is SO SO important to their relationship in the future. Right now, they very much are on different sides, so I am glad that it was portrayed as such. I know that this wasn't quite the SasuSaku reunion that might have been expected, but this was needed. At this point in the story, can it really be a reunion given their personal crises and states? Like I tried to make clear, they are currently on very opposite sides and opposite states of mind. I promise though, the right Sasusaku reunion will be where it needs to be. I appreciate your honest feedback though! I am glad that my quality of writing hasn't suffered as a result of getting these chapters out so fast! That makes me happy to hear! Lol, I had a suspicion that one guest reviewer might have been you, but I wasn't sure, haha.

To Guest Reviewer **Faye-chan** : Thanks so much for your compliments! I am glad that you feel the characters have been well written and that you are so excited to read more!

To Guest Reviewer **Dewazz** : Well, I can't directly answer that question, but it will be sooner than later. Thanks for reading. I promise the wait will be worth it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related.

* * *

Chapter VIII: The Foreshadow of Truth

* * *

 _We question our choices_

 _Curious of consequences_

 _The endless futures_

 _Are they obtainable?_

* * *

Sakura didn't know how much time had elapsed when Kakashi finally motioned for the both of them to stop.

The whole ride had been blurry for Sakura, her eyes feeling heavy and puffy from the tears that had freely flowed from them. Everything was a mess, and she was a mess. This whole operation had turned out to be an absolute disaster, and in the end seeing Sasuke had ended up making things even worse for her emotional state.

"Sakura, can you administer medical attention to Naruto here?" Kakashi inquired, snapping Sakura out of her daze. His voice seemed calm, and his composure was carefully kept in place despite their current situation, or the fact that he had been the General to lead this campaign and it had turned out to be an utter failure.

"I - I think so." Sakura hiccuped, dismounting her horse to help Kakashi pull Naruto down and settle him on the ground. He felt cold and pale and Sakura let down a heavy gulp. Carefully she placed her fingers on his jugular to take his pulse. Part of her feared that it was too late for Naruto. Trembling, she was trying to stay calm, even though her mind was having a complete meltdown. She felt a small wave of relief however when she felt the faint beating of Naruto's pulse. Immediately she turned her attention towards the wound in Naruto's stomach, ripping open the blood soaked fabric for better access.

Immediately Sakura got to work, her hands glowing a faint green as more tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She squeezed them shut for a moment, willing her tears to go away and for her emotions to be under control, at least for the time being. She had to focus on Naruto and getting him to a place where he might have a chance.

Naruto had lost a large amount of blood, but he had been lucky in the fact that it seemed Sasuke had missed any of his vital organs. Sakura concentrated on working to repair his body, working the muscles and flesh back together. It didn't matter that she felt exhausted, Sakura would make sure that Naruto would at least make the trip to where he could receive proper medical attention.

Kakashi had been calm and patient through all of this, standing on guard as Sakura went to work on Naruto. For a moment Sakura had to wonder how he was feeling. What would be their next step after all this? The entire Senju force that had been sent to intervene the Uchiha had been completely scattered. Would they go back to their camp? Was there a different rendezvous point? Did anyone else even survive? So many questions whirled around in Sakura's mind.

Sakura snifflfed and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she finished mending what she could of Naruto's wound. No matter what, there was nothing she could do about his loss of blood, and he would require a blood transfusion sooner than later if he really wanted to stand a chance of making it through this.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Sakura asked Kakashi quietly, her voice feeling hoarse.

"We need to meet at the rendezvous point that's located at the North outpost on the Senjuku river. It will take about an hour to get there on horseback, maybe a little longer depending on Naruto. The medic facility there should be able to accommodate Naruto." Kakashi answered. As if he could tell that Sakura was an emotional wreck, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, squatting beside her in an attempt at comfort. He eyed Naruto before speaking again.

"Thanks to you however, I think this stubborn brat is going to be okay." He offered, though his words didn't bring Sakura much comfort to her wreck of emotions on the inside. She did however, feel some content at his attempt.

"Yeah. I hope so." Sakura answered tentatively.

Kakashi and Sakura then moved to situate Naruto back onto the horse Kakashi was riding as the two of them set out for the North Senjuku outpost.

* * *

An unexpected disaster would be a light way to word how Sasuke felt about the result of their attack on the Niwa. No, in a way, it had been an absolute failure, and for the first time, Sasuke truly dreaded meeting with Madara. In so many words, Madara had made clear his mounting doubt and displeasement towards Sasuke ever since they had taken Sakura prisoner, and his hesitance had allowed her to escape. His life has been unraveling ever since he had met that damn woman, and now she was an even _bigger_ threat.

Sasuke almost always had a carefully placed composure, a controlled expression on his face, even in the midst of war when he was ending the lives of his enemies, and yet he could not hide his utter surprise at the raw power that the petite pinkette displayed when she came to the defense of her friend. Sasuke slightly shuddered at the thought of truly being on the receiving end of such a force.

Where had she learned such a thing? How was that even possible? And who had she learned it from? He was sure that Naruto could not have taught her such a thing. No, he _knew_ Naruto well enough to know that he didn't.

The Senju had ordered a retreat, which would make this the first kind of victory that the Uchiha had in a while when they were faced against them. Most of the time, Madara was happy to withdraw as soon his objectives had been met. Indeed that had avoided confrontation where possible, even if Sasuke hadn't always agreed. Then again, deep down, Sasuke hadn't always agreed with Madara's methods either, even if he did nothing to question them. He would quickly bury any doubt that he had quickly in preference to the loyalty he owed his King.

So why was everything so different? Why had one insignificant woman like Sakura changed everything?

They had been lucky that even though the Senju had directly attacked their camp, it had been left still inhabitable, and since they had been the ones to retreat from the battlefield, the majority of the Uchiha forces were able to regroup there. It was going to be a mess getting everything back in order. Finding the captains, the soldiers, and the Niwa that they either now have taken prisoner or have sworn their loyalty to the Uchiha.

"General! Welcome back!" A soldier greeted, bowing in respect to Sasuke. Sasuke was in a foul mood however, his expression dark.

"Where is Madara?" He demanded coldly, not even bothering to address his King as such in front of his own soldiers.

"Th -the King, sir?" The soldier hesitantly clarified.

"Was I unclear?" Sasuke snarled, causing the soldier the jump.

"No sir!" He almost stuttered in response. "The King is in the command tent. That direction sir."

Sasuke didn't even bother responding before he stormed off in the direction the soldier instructed him. Though that soldier did not entirely deserve Sasuke's foul attitude, he did not care. His foul mood was nothing in comparison to the wrath that Sasuke was most likely going to suffer.

Sasuke entered the command tent without a word.

"I see you bothered to come back in one piece." Madara sneered upon the sight of his General.

"I tried to get the situation under control." Sasuke answered flatly.

"Is that so?" Madara asked, though it was clear that his words were not a question. "Then would you care to explain why you could allow the Senju General, Naruto _and_ that Haruno woman to _escape_?" Madara seethed. His tone made it clear that he was furious, even if he put on a show of false control.

" _Sakura,_ " Sasuke clarified. "Managed to split the Earth in two preventing me from pursuing. Had she not interrupted, Naruto would be _dead_."

Madara let out a hysterical laugh. "Are you telling me that small, insignificant piece of work managed to somehow split the very ground we walk on in two and stop _you_ from your goals?" he mocked. "Or were you too terrified?"

Sasuke growled, clearly angered by Madara's words, hastily ripping Kusanagi from his sheath as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Without hesitation, Sasuke brought his sword against Madara, a challenging and murderous look on his face. His Sharingan was activated.

"You mock me as if I am foolish and hesitant! You know nothing!" Sasuke threatened. However, Madara was unfazed by Sasuke's actions, once again laughing as if he were amused.

"Do you dare to betray me?" Madara immediately activated his own Sharingan.

"I have never betrayed you!"

"Yet you would point your sword against me?" Madara threatened. "You damn fool."

* * *

It was nightfall by the time Sakura and Kakashi could make out the faint lights of the Senjuku outpost. However, in comparison to how dimly lit it was, Sakura could easily hear the busy activity from within the gated walls. Two guards were at the gate entrance when Sakura and Kakashi had approached them.

"Sir General!" one exclaimed, immediately recognizing Kakashi's silver hair, even in the dim light. "We are relieved to see you made it!"

"Indeed. I have Naruto Uzumaki and a medic, Sakura Haruno with me." Kakashi replied. "Naruto needs immediate medical attention." The guard nodded.

"Understood. Let them through!"

Immediately the gates began to open, revealing the busy outpost inside. At first glance, Sakura was surprised by how many soldiers seemed to be about, though she could see that many were injured. Kakashi didn't say another word however has he led the both of them through, heading straight for the medic building.

"Let's get Naruto inside." Kakashi finally said, stopping in front of what Sakura assumed was the medical building that he had been guiding them towards. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was better than anything else Sakura had to work with.

"Go in and get a stretcher."

Sakura didn't hesitate to do as Kakashi asked, giving him a quick nod before heading up the few wooden steps and straight into the building. Upon first glance, the inside was simple, a few beds lined up with curtains to separate them. It wasn't as busy as she was expecting however. Had most of the medics in here gone out the provide care in the open? Perhaps that made more sense than trying to cram a bunch of people in here.

"If you need medical care, you are going to have to go out and wait! We are doing our best!" An impatient voice shouted, however Sakura immediately recognized it.

"Tsunade!" She called, causing the blonde haired woman to turn her attention towards her and away from the things that were strewn all over a small desk in the back of the room. "What are you going here?"

"Sakura?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice. "I can't believe you made it back here in one piece, kiddo! My grandfather sent me to help out the other medics here."

"Tsunade, Naruto is hurt badly. Is there a stretcher? He needs a blood transfusion bad!" Sakura asked. Though she was surprised and relieved to see her teacher here, Naruto still had to remain her priority.

"Yeah, sure kid! Grab one from over there!" She answered, pointing to one that had been propped up against the opposite wall.

Sakura did as she was instructed, hastily grabbing the stretcher and taking it outside to where Kakashi and Naruto were waiting.

"Here," she offered, as Kakashi pulled Naruto down, laying him on the stretcher. He looked slightly less pale, but he was still out stone cold.

"Help me get him inside, Sakura." Kakashi instructed. Quickly the both of them grabbed one end of the stretcher, taking Naruto into the Medic building.

"What on Earth happened?" Tsunade demanded, rushing over to them as Sakura and Kakashi laid the stretcher on one of the empty beds.

"H-he was stabbed." Sakura answered. "By Sasuke."

"You mean Sasuke Uchiha? The General?" Tsunade inquired, causing Sakura to nod in affirmation. A scowl fell on Tsunade's face.

"Tch. Figures. That idiot never listens." Tsunade grumbled.

"Sakura was able to close the wound." Kakashi began.

"He's lost a lot of blood." Sakura continued, her voice slightly panicked. "Luckily his vital organs were still an intact, but he has a very weak pulse."

"Let's get an IV started immediately," Tsunade ordered. "Sakura, I need you to go and get a blood transfusion bag from the back. Naruto is blood type B."

Sakura immediately rushed off under Tsunade's instruction, hastily entering the backroom and looking for the cooler in which the blood transfusion bags were kept. Quickly finding them, she shuffled through them, finding a bag labeled B, returning to Tsunade.

"Here."

Tsunade quickly took the bag from her, and began questioning both Sakura and Kakashi.

"So what the hell happened out there?" She asked again as she got to work on Naruto.

"We were ambushed." Kakashi answered. "They snuck in the attackers with the group of Niwa prisoners we brought back from the village. When we had began our assault, the Uchiha withdrew hastily. I didn't understand it then, but now it was very clear what their motive was."

"I've never known Sasuke to stoop to that kind of trickery," Tsunade admitted. "Even as much as I dislike the Uchiha, they've always been a prideful bunch."

"I don't think it was Sasuke who came up with that plan." Sakura interrupted, causing both Kakashi and Tsunade to look at her. The look of skepticism was clear on Tsunade's face.

"I suppose that's true. From Naruto's point of view on his character, it would seem very out of place for Sasuke to act in that way." Kakashi agreed reluctantly.

"What makes you think that, Sakura?" Tsunade questioned seriously, her voice indicating displeasure in Sakura's suggestion.

"It's just…" Sakura trailed off, "He seemed odd. I didn't think about it until now, but I've seen enough of Sasuke's personality to recognize when he hesitates. I didn't realize it before…"

"So you're basing this off of what you perceive as hesitation?" Tsunade scolded. "How is the fact that he nearly killed Naruto a sign of his hesitation!?"

"Tsunade, don't direct your dislike of the Uchiha towards Sakura." Kakashi intervened, trying to calm the older medic down.

"The more I think about it, and the way that Naruto explained it… Madara, the King I mean, is good at manipulating. He's manipulated Sasuke so much that Sasuke hasn't been able to look at things in his own way for a long time."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Tsunade scoffed.

"Is that why Naruto believes that he can change Sasuke's mind?" Kakashi asked, seriousness in his voice. Sakura nodded.

"Probably."

"Well, Naruto did always say that Sasuke used to be very different."

"I can't believe that you are going along with this, Kakashi."

"Tsunade, I know that you feel that Naruto is fool, and that the two of you don't see eye to eye the majority of the time," Kakashi began. "However, you know as well as I do, personal feelings aside, the truth of Naruto's feelings."

"Tch." Tsunade sighed in defeat, indicating her lack of enthusiasm for the current conversation. "It's been a long day, and I'm not in the mood to argue. Kakashi, you have a giant mess to clean up. The advisors are giving my grandfather hell. As for you Sakura, you look like hell. You ought to go get cleaned up, a bit of shut eye, then report back here. There are plenty of people to help, but you won't last long in that condition."

"Ever so abrasive." Kakashi mumbled. "Sakura, if you need me, I will be in the main building. It will be a while before I can get any rest, but you should do as Tsunade says."

"Okay." Sakura agreed softly. "Thank you, Kakashi. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Kakashi gave a wave as he left the medic building.

"Go." Tsunade ordered sensing Sakura's hesitation. "Naruto will fine with me. Also, later we are going to fix that mess you call a haircut. I'm interested in hesring the story behind that mess."

"Okay. I'll come back soon." Sakura assured, too tired to come up with a retort to Tsunade's comment on her hair. She was finally feeling her exhaustion really settle in now that she felt some form of safety. She really did need sleep after everything that had happened.

* * *

The pain throbbing in Sasuke's head was far from pleasant. In truth, he felt heavy and sore as he immediately realized that he was somewhere he did not recognize, and that he had absolutely no recollection of how he had even ended up here, wherever that was.

Grunting, he opened his eyes, realizing immediately that it was pitch black and that there was a familiar scent of dirt, stale air, and a moldy musk.

He was in the Uchiha castle dungeon, the same one he had thrown Sakura in the first night that they had brought her back to the Uchiha castle.

Sasuke wanted to panic but part of him knew what would happen when he dared to defy Madara, dared to raise his own sword at the Uchiha King. He didn't remember much of what had happened in that tent… just that Madara had activated his Sharingan calling him a fool for his actions. Everything just kind of went black after that.

What was Madara planning to do with him? Obviously it had to of been Madara that had taken him out and had him imprisoned in the dungeon. Whatever was going to happen next, Sasuke knew that it would not be favorable for him.

He had let his own anger, his own confusion, get the better of him. For the first time, he dared to defy his own willingness to take and carry out Madara's orders. He done everything to be what Madara needed him to be, what Madara had given him a chance to be up until this point, taking down all the enemies that stood before them.

Yet here he was, sitting in a prison with no clue as to what his future held. No, he couldn't let things end like this. No matter his moment of weakness, of poor judgement, he had something he had to fulfill before all else, and that was to avenge the death of his parents, and all those that had senselessly died under the hands of the Senju.

That had been his original resolve, but in his quest to obtain power, the quest to get stronger, he had become willing to do whatever it was that Madara had needed him to do.

Sasuke was lost in his own thoughts, not realize that a figure had approached the bars of his cell.

"You want to tell me what your little fit was earlier?" Madara questioned harshly.

"That's unusual of you. I should be dead." Sasuke retorted, causing the other Uchiha to grunt in annoyance.

"You forget that I have raised you since you were a child, Sasuke. I may be a monster, but the real monster is you." Madara answered.

"Who exactly was the one who turned me into a monster?!" Sasuke growled, grinding his teeth as he grabbed the bars harshly, his eyes crimson red.

"That hate," Madara taunted. "Is the source of your power. You need that hate Sasuke, otherwise you are nothing but weak."

"No, you _need_ me to have this hate."

"On the contrary Sasuke, _you're_ the one who needs the hate. The hate to avenge all those you once held dear that are dead." Madara manipulated. "Are you willing to forget them? To leave their injustice stand?"

"Is that the only reason you didn't kill me? So I could have a chance to avenge them?" Sasuke questioned angrily.

"You are just like my younger brother, Izuna." Madara continued, indirectly answering Sasuke's question.

"So you've told me." Sasuke snapped.

"Do you truly think of me as a monster, Sasuke?" Madara inquired. "All I have ever done is look out for the best interests of the Uchiha, of _our_ clan. To realize the dreams of our ancestors in creating a peaceful world."

"If I am a monster, then what kind of person raised me?"

Madara chuckled deeply. "An entertaining thought. You are an avenger, Sasuke. I am an avenger. We are the ones who are destined to avenge all those that have lost their lives to the cause of realizing the Uchiha dream. To realize our dreams we must not let our personal trifles get in the way. Would you throw away the memory of your family just because of your feeble bonds with that blonde and that woman?"

"No. They mean nothing to me."

"Then if that is the case, then I expect you to never disobey me again. There will not be another chance. My patience has run out. The next time you fail, it will prove your uselessness to me, and to our cause to avenge the Uchiha."

* * *

By the time Sakura had managed to get cleaned up enough to get some sleep, she was so exhausted that the moment her head hit the pillow in one of the barrack bunk beds she was out. She had no idea how long exactly she had been asleep, but when she woke from her slumber it, it was clear that it was already morning with the sun's rays that shone into the building.

Cleaning up any signs of sleeping from herself, Sakura quickly made her way back to the medic building. It was quiet inside, almost peaceful expect for the soft snoring of Tsunade at her desk. Sakura wasn't sure how the woman would react if she dared to wake her from her slumber, so instead, she quietly made her way next to Naruto.

Immediately she could tell that he seemed to be doing better thanks to the blood transfusion. Some color had returned to his skin, and his breathing seemed to be less labored. She was sure that Tsunade had probably kept watch over him throughout the night.

"Sakura." It seemed that Naruto had noticed her presence when he quietly said her name, his eyes opening slowly. Relief once again washed over the pinkette now that her friend was awake.

"Naruto! Thank goodness you are okay!" Sakura exclaimed, leaning down the give the blonde and awkward hug.

"Uh, I feel terrible." Naruto remarked with a groan.

"You almost died, you idiot!" Sakura scolded, though she had a small smile on her face.

"Ugh, you two are so noisy." Tsunade complained, clearly awake from her nap.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Sakura apologized, as Tsunade came to stand in front of the both of them. She let out a big yawn.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, Naruto." Tsunade greeted. "You are so going to owe me for this."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Naruto mumbled. "Thanks."

"You were lucky. If Sakura hadn't healed you, you really would have been dead. What were you thinking being so reckless?"

"I ran into Sasuke."

Tsunade groaned. "Of course."

"Hey, in all fairness, Sakura gave that bastard a run for it!" Naruto exclaimed, almost too excitedly causing the pinkette to become embarassed with his praise. "She punched the ground and it was all like crack crumble boom!" Tsunade's eyes widened at Naruto's explanation as she looked to Sakura.

"You were able to channel your chakra?" She asked. Sakura nodded.

"I'm not sure how, I just wanted to save Naruto and it was like it just happened on it's own." Sakura admitted. "I don't know if I'd be able to do it again though."

Tsunade's expression softened as she gave her student a small smile. "Well either way, I'm proud of you. We will keep working on it. For now we need to just get this mess cleaned up, and I am going to go take a nap. Do you think you can take over here for a few hours?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. I think I can manage."

"Good, if there is an emergency, come get me. Otherwise I'm going to go get some sleep." Tsunade gave one more yawn before she turned to leave the medic building, waving the two of them goodbye.

"Remind me to never make you angry." Naruto began, teasing his pink haired friend. "I might have almost died but I'm pretty sure you were more terrifying."

"Hey, watch it. I'm the one taking care of you after all, and if you're just going to be a smartass I don't have a problem putting you to sleep for some peace and quiet." Sakura shot back, though she felt some small pride in Naruto's words.

"Sorry it turned into such a mess for you." Naruto apologized, his demeanor more serious as he quickly changed the topic. "Oh and on another note, what on earth happened to your hair?" For a moment, Sakura had almost completely forgotten about the fact that her hair was probably a mess from the butchered job she did at slicing it off.

"Oh this?" Sakura asked. "It happened when the main camp was attacked. I got caught and I-"

"I am so sorry." Naruto cut her off, his expression sad. "I shouldn't of dragged you into any of this."

"Naruto, it's okay." Sakura argued softly. "I decided on my own that I wanted to help, that I wanted to be a part of this all. It's just hair. It grows back. I've never really had my hair short before, so who knows? I might end up liking it. Tsunade's going to help me straighten it out later. I kind of cut it off in a hurry."

"Ugh. This is going to be such a mess. Is Kakashi okay?" Naruto asked, seemingly satisfied enough with Sakura's response as he changed the subject.

"Yeah, I think so. We made it back here in one piece. He took off towards the main building pretty quickly after we got you set up here though. I haven't heard or seen from him since, but I'm sure he is okay."

"He's probably mumbling out one angry complaint after another, but I don't think Hashirama will be hard on him. Especially given the circumstances of what happened."

"Even though we were the ones to retreat, I don't think the Uchiha went without some major setbacks of their own. I don't think this was really a victory for either side." Sakura suggested.

"Speaking of which…" Naruto trailed off, looking at the open door and Kakashi entering the building.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted casually. He looked exhausted however, evident bags under his eyes indicating his lack of sleep. "Tsunade said you finally woke up." Naruto grinned.

"You look like hell."

"Naruto, be nice." Sakura scolded.

"I'd say I got lucky in comparison to you." Kakashi deadpanned. "I needed to come down this way anyway. All things considered, Hashirama took everything pretty well, but all the advisors on the other hand…"

"Ah, let them be. They're a bunch of old grumpy men anyway." Naruto whinned dismissively.

"Tell that to Hiashi. He's taken a seat on the advisory board, thanks to you." Kakashi informed the blonde, causing his cerulean eyes to widen.

"What, seriously?" Naruto asked, clearly surprised by the news.

"Yeah. They've been trying to get him on there for a while, but the Hyuuga have been pretty adamant about not being involved in anyone's affairs, not even the Senju's."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Naruto grumbled.

"Hinata's pretty worried about you, too. She sent a letter inquiring about you. Do you want to see it?" Kakashi asked. Naruto shook his head.

"No, it's alright. I think I should go see her in person." Naruto admitted. "I almost didn't keep my promise to her."

"Hey, I promised I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you." Sakura chimed in, knowing that Naruto was feeling guilty.

"Well, suit yourself. Once you are well enough, you are free to go. I still have a few things that I need to get in order, but I would expect to be called for another meeting in the Senju capital in about a week. There's talk of making you one of the Generals." Kakashi admitted, causing the blonde to once again be caught off guard.

"What? A General?" Naruto asked in a stupor. "Why would they be promoting me to that?"

"Well, I guess the word is that you were able to lead the men well, and I put in the recommendation. Despite our loss, we all know you to be a very capable fighter. Hashirama agrees, and Hiashi is backing you up. You know what that will mean though?"

"That I will be giving up my freedom in return." Naruto finished. "It's a lot of responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready to commit to something like that."

"Just think about it Naruto." Kakashi sighed. "Anyway, I've got to get back to work." His attention then turned to Sakura who had been listening to the whole conversation between Naruto and Kakashi. "Also, Sakura, I want to tell you again that you've done good work. Naruto would not have made it without you."

* * *

Even being at home in the Uchiha castle, being in the place where Sasuke had spent the majority of his life, it all of a sudden didn't feel the same. After Madara's final warning and threats, he had released Sasuke from the prison cell, warning him that if he were to disobey him again, there would be consequences that Sasuke couldn't comprehend.

As Sasuke walked through the hallways, he could hear the hushed whispers of those who worked in the castle around him, as if they were afraid of him hearing what they had to say. It didn't take a genius to read their body language, or the way that their eyes would shift when Sasuke would pass by.

It angered him, but no matter how Sasuke looked at this, he was the only one to blame for it.

After getting cleaned up and a little bit of rest from everything that had transpired recently, Madara had demanded his attention, immediately wanting to plan their next move.

This last campaign had not gone the way that Madara had wanted. It was not a victory for them, but it was not an entire loss either. They had managed to send the Senju forced into retreat, and Sasuke had managed to severely wound Naruto. If that wretched woman hadn't intervened, he might have really ended the blonde's life.

No, he had hesitated, as if he had subconsciously allowed Sakura enough time to stop him from ending Naruto's life for good. His bonds were weakness. His curiosity to the pinkette were another weakness. It infuriated him, how much his body and actions seemed to betray what logic dictated. His mind was filled of images of pink and emerald, of the fierceness and sheer determination of someone who was so small, so insignificant. Sasuke hated the way that he was drawn to her, the way that he found Sakura beautiful.

He hadn't dared to admit it till now, he didn't want to. Sasuke Uchiha didn't understand it all.

Sasuke found himself entering Madara's study once again, immediately pushing the thoughts of pink and green to the back of his treacherous mind.

"I am ready to obey your orders." Sasuke stated, bowing to his King.

"A change of heart?" Madara asked, a sinister grin on his face. Sasuke said nothing in reply.

"No matter. We are going to launch another assault." Madara began. "This time, we are going to hit a big target. We've shown the Senju at this point that we are not to be trifled with."

"What is it you want?" Sasuke asked.

"We are going to take care of a few problems. You Sasuke," Madara pointed. "Are going to prove to me your loyalty and dedication to the Uchiha."

Sasuke could feel mounting dread. What did Madara have planned now?

"We are going to attack the Hyuuga."

Sasuke immediately knew why Madara wanted to target the Hyuuga, and for a moment, Sasuke truly wondered how ruthless Madara was. Had Madara been keeping tabs on him this whole time? How much did Madara know about Sasuke that he thought he was hiding?

The Hyuuga were the ones that took Naruto in after Sasuke had helped him escape.

Had Madara known that all along as well?

* * *

Two days after Sakura and Naruto had arrived at the North Senjuku river outpost and four days since they had left the Hyuuga, they found themselves once again standing in front of the gates of the Hyuuga head mansion.

The guards did not question Naruto like they did the first time, instead immediately running into the compound to announce the presence.

Hinata was the first who came running out, her eyes glossed over as if she was about to cry when she ran straight to Naruto, enveloping him in a hug and burying her face into his chest. Sakura watched as Naruto returned her embrace, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"Naruto. I'm so glad you are okay!" Hinata quietly admitted.

"I'm sorry. I know I promised you I wouldn't be reckless." Naruto responded softly. "If it wasn't for Sakura, I might not have been so lucky."

The raven haired woman then looked up and from Naruto, her gaze meeting Sakura's.

"Thank you, for taking care of him." Hinata thanked, her gratitude sincere.

"Of course." Sakura replied softly.

Hinata turned her attention back to Naruto, as if she was going to say more, but the voice of Hiashi interrupted her, causing the two to break apart instantly, as if they had been caught doing something they shouldn't.

Hiashi had seen them, his face a mask that didnt reveal his emotions, and his mouth set in a slim line.

"Naruto. Come. We have a few things to discuss." He stated. "Sakura, Hinata will get you settled." No one said a word to the instructions of Hiashi, immediately doing as they were told.

"Is Naruto going to be okay?" Sakura asked quietly after the two men had disappeared from both her and Hinata's sight.

"He will be fine, I promise." Hinata answered, her voice quiet, but confident. "Also, I don't mean to pry, but did you cut your hair?"

"Oh that?" Sakura chuckled sheepishly. "Its kind of a long story." She was glad that Tsunade had straightened it out for her. It had resulted in her hair being a little shorter than she expected, but at least it looked like she may have purposely gotten a haircut.

"Well, I like it." Hinata complimented.

"Thanks. I think it's growing on me." Sakura admitted with a small smile.

* * *

"I heard you accepted the position on the advisory council." Naruto began as he sat across from Hiashi in the Hyuuga mansion's living room.

"Word travels fast." Hiashi acknowledged. "I didn't do it for them." he added.

"I know you didn't." Naruto admitted. "I'm sorry."

This had been the first time in a long time that he had sat down with Hiashi, who had been a father figure to him once. In a way, he still was.

"Naruto, I know we have our differences. I was harsh and didn't approve of your choices back then." Hiashi began, his harsh voice softening. "I should have supported you."

"I was headstrong. I wasn't willing to listen at that time either."

"Neither was I."

An awkward silence fell between the two of them, as if neither one were quite sure of how to proceed after hearing and saying things that hadn't been said ever since Naruto had brought Hanabi back two years ago.

"Naruto," Hiashi began, finally breaking the silence. "I know how you feel about my daughter."

This immediately caused the blonde to blush with embarrassment.

"That obvious, huh?" Naruto asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"No." Hiashi admitted. "To anyone else, you would have hidden it well."

"I know I don't have a right to feel that way towards Hinata."

"On the contrary," Hiashi argued. "I do not disapprove."

Naruto was caught completely off guard to Hiashi's words. "W-what?"

"I have known for a while now that Hinata feels the same way about you."

Again, silence once again filled the room as Naruto tried to contemplate Hiashi's words and the meaning behind them. Was Hiashi just giving him permission to have a relationship with his daughter?

"You don't live the kind of lifestyle I would want for Hinata," Hiashi continued, causing Naruto's heart to sink. "So, if you want me to support your relationship, you need to prove to me that you can be the man that Hinata deserves."

"How… would I do that?" Naruto tentatively asked, still in shock at everything that had just been said.

"I want you to accept the offer of becoming a General in the Senju army."

Naruto gritted his teeth, trying to keep his composure. That meant giving up his freedom… that meant having to be a puppet in this war, and it was not something he had planned on doing, even under the rule of someone like Hashirama who he respected. It meant that the other council members had a say in what he did.

"You want to strap me down with rules?" Naruto questioned. "You know that the council will never approve of me wanting to spare Sasuke!"

"No, they would not." Hiashi agreed. "However, I will support you against the council. This whole thing, is bigger than me, it's bigger than just the Senju or the Uchiha… and quite frankly, the other Hyuuga elders would never agree to you marrying my daughter with your current social status."

Damn traditions.

As irritated as Naruto was, Hiashi was right. As much as Naruto hated the idea of committing himself to the Senju army, being embroiled on one side of this war, Hiashi was giving him a way to have a chance at everything he wanted.

"So I'm going to ask you, Naruto." Hiashi pressed. "How much does my daughter mean to you?"

"Tch." Naruto smirked. "Do you really have to ask me that? I will play by their rules, if that's what they want. At the end of the day, you know as well as I do that I won't go back on my word, and I will stop at nothing to do what is right."

"Then, if your mind is made up, there is someone that I want you and Sakura to meet." Hiashi sighed, giving Naruto a small smile as if he were proud. "He thinks it's time that you meet him."

Naruto couldn't help but be curious. What was Hiashi hiding?

* * *

Madara had been ruthless in his training with Sasuke. He didn't make it out with some scratches and bruises that he usually did, no, instead Madara had made it a point to put him in his place. To remind him of who was in control, who had given Sasuke a purpose in his life.

Attacking the Hyuuga meant directly attacking the things that Madara knew that Sasuke was holding onto, the bonds that were the last decent part of his humanity that he had not lost in his quest for vengeance and power. It meant hurting Naruto where it would affect him the most, and it meant breeding more hate.

Sasuke needed Naruto to hate him. It would make severing the last lingering parts of their bonds easier. He needed Sakura to hate him. He needed to remind her that he was not the person she was claiming him to be. She had to be reminded of her own foolishness and insignificance.

Retreating to his bedchambers, Sasuke began to clean his wounds. He was pretty sure that Madara had even managed to crack one of his ribs, causing the Uchiha to wince in pain as he felt for the damaged rib and the bruising.

How would they pull of this next attack? Madara at made it very clear that he had wanted Sasuke to be on the front lines, and to seek out the Hyuuga heads and Naruto himself. The last battle had resulted in a good amount of their troops being killed.

Was Madara fighting a losing war? Would the Uchiha go extinct just trying to exact their revenge? Just trying to obtain power? No, that didn't matter. Even if Sasuke or Madara were the last ones left alive, so long as they made their goals, then it would be that they achieved what they set out to do.

This was Sasuke's destiny. This is what life had to offer him.

In some ways, he already despised the fact that Naruto had been given the opportunity to make different choices, to choose a different life. A long time ago, his bond with the blonde had compelled him to save him from the servitude and expectations that Madara had placed upon them. To give up their humanity and become the perfect tool that the Uchiha King needed.

Naruto had asked him questions that he couldn't get out of his head. He hated his own doubt and insecurity. Was this all his choice? What other choice would he have?

He had forgotten the feelings and consideration that he once felt, until the night he met Sakura and she became his prisoner. She didn't even say much, but her actions and determination awakened something that he had forgotten long ago. There was something about her that continued to draw him in, no matter how much he fought it, how much he wanted to hate her instead.

Not only had Madara chosen the Hyuuga for a personal vendetta, but he also chose them from a tactical standpoint that would be risky. The Hyuuga territory lay to the North of the Senju territory. Madara was playing a dangerous game, but seeing how the Niwa territory had been left for the to occupy, it would mean that they would be able to attack the Senju on all fronts from the North, East, South, and West. It would spread their forces thin, but knowing Madara, he probably had something up his sleeve that he was not willing to divulge to Sasuke.

Even if Sasuke died in the upcoming battle against the Hyuuga, he knew that Madara would stop at nothing to end the Senju. That's how far his hatred for them was embedded.

* * *

It wasn't long after Sakura had been left to settle in her guest room in the Hyuuga mansion, that a knock came to her door. Hinata had just left to go make some tea, so at first Sakura was confused at who would be knocking at her door, or if Hinata had already made their drinks.

She opened the door to reveal both Naruto and Hiashi together, their expressions serious.

"Sakura," Hiashi greeted. "I want you to come with Naruto and I. There is someone… that I think you should meet."

Sakura felt a little puzzled at Hiashi's request, but agreed nonetheless as she looked at Naruto and then at Hiashi. "Okay. Hinata was going to come back with some tea for us though."

"We saw Hinata in the kitchen on our way over here." Naruto answered. "She knows that we want you to come with us."

"Okay, then let's go."

Sakura exited her room, shutting the door softly behind her as she followed both Naruto and Hiashi towards another area of the mansion that she had not gone before.

"I want to warn the two of you now." Hiashi began, his voice firm. "This is not to be mentioned to anyone. For the most part, the fact that this person is even alive has been kept a secret."

Both Naruto and Sakura looked at eachother, but didn't say anything in response.

"Why are we meeting him then, if he doesn't want to be found?" Naruto asked.

"You are meeting him because he was the one who requested to meet you. The both of you, actually." Hiashi answered.

The three of them entered another small building located on the Hyuuga head grounds. It seemed as if it was a smaller home, all on its own, built with the same decorations and materials as the main house.

Hiashi knocked on the door, though no response came. With a sigh, Hiashi opened the door, motioning for both Sakura and Naruto to enter the building.

It was dark inside the building, except for some low lighting, almost as if whoever was here wanted to make it seem as if no one was staying in the building. Neither one saw anyone inside, but they did hear footsteps on the wooden floor as the sound of them came closer. Rounding a corner, a man with black shoulder length hair tied in in the back and crimson eyes met with cerulean and viridian.

Sakura gasped while Naruto growled defensively, immediately positioning himself between the unknown man and Sakura.

"I am Itachi Uchiha," the man began, clearly unbothered by Naruto's defensiveness, dismissing it entirely. "and I am Sasuke Uchiha's older brother."

* * *

Yep. I'm just going to leave this chapter riiiiiiiiiggggggghhhhht here.

I know that I haven't written a whole ton of insight on Sasuke's perspective in the last chapters, and that the events have mostly been told from Sakura's point of view. There will be a lot more of Sasuke's perspective in the upcoming chapters, and expect something big for him. We have seen a ton of character development from Sakura, and I know that you guys have been wanting to get Sasuke's development as well.

Also, how many of you suspected this turn of events? This is sure going to make things more complicated than they already are!

I did have a little bit of a hard time writing this chapter, so I hope that it was still up to par.

Please leave me a review! I'm really interested on what your thoughts are!

I know you know guys are dying for the SasuSaku stuff, and I promise it is coming! So brace yourself!


	9. The Truth of Lies

I am so sorry, I know the cliffhanger is killing you guys, but I just had to! So far, I think most of all of you (at least the ones that reviewed) were pretty surprised by Itachi! Be prepared because stuff is about to go down!

I feel like a broken record promising you guys that the SasuSaku is coming soon! I know that so many of you are eager for it, and I want to get to writing it too! XD

On one more note, I am so damn excited about the fairy tale sequel that just got released as well. Really hoping we will get more info on the canon relationships.

To guest reviewer **who asked about Itachi being alive** : Haha yes! I can't tell you how much I have been waiting to write this moment in the story so far! It's a huge twist, and don't worry, so many things in regards to both him and Sasuke will be explained in this chapter and the next.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related.

* * *

 **Chapter IX** : The Truth of Lies

* * *

 _Collisions of the past_

 _The truth underneath lies_

 _Fateful choices for the future_

 _Destiny does provide_

* * *

"What the fu-"

Sakura quickly jabbed her petite fingers into Naruto on the right side of his torso, effectively shutting up the blonde before he could finish his sentence as he doubled over grabbing his abused ribs as he frowned at the pinkette.

"Naruto." Sakura hissed. "Calm down."

"You are Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno?" Itachi inquired, still ignoring the outburst from the blonde. He spoke calmly, yet was straightforward and serious.

"We are." Naruto answered, his initial shock now gone, but it was clear that he was still defensive. "Itachi Uchiha is supposed to be dead."

"To the world, I am dead." Itachi answered, his face stoic. Immediately, Sakura noted that the Uchiha brothers were alike in their guarded facades, sharing some of the same features.

"Why choose to reveal yourself now?" Sakura asked tentatively. She was entirely unsure of how she should be feeling herself. What was an Uchiha doing here? More importantly, what was his ties with the Hyuuga? Naruto had told her that Sasuke's whole family had been murdered years ago when they were young children so what really happened? How was Itachi Uchiha alive? Her mind was swimming with so many unanswered questions.

"If you are willing to listen, I will tell you my story." Itachi offered, though he himself seemed a little on guard. "As far as I am concerned, you are the only two I can trust."

"How do you even know about us in the first place?" Naruto questioned.

"I told you, I will tell you and answer your questions if you are willing to listen." Itachi once again answered. Sakura and Naruto glanced at each other, Naruto giving the pinkette a small nod as he lowered his defensive position.

"Fine. Let's hear it." Naruto conceded. Itachi gave a slight nod, motioning for the two of them to join him in the living room. The room was small and sparsely furnished except for some sitting cushions and a low, small table in the middle of the room. Awkwardly, both Sakura and Naruto took a seat, waiting for Itachi to join them.

"I'm honestly not even sure where to begin," Itachi admitted. "But I want you to know, that all I want is to make things right for Sasuke."

"Do you even know what your brother is like?" Sakura asked, surprised by her own forwardness. The words had slipped out of her mouth almost as fast as she had thought them.

"I do, and I can only largely blame myself for his current situation. I know that no excuse can make what happened to Sasuke right, or what he has done right. That's why I have to do what I can to change things, while I still can." Itachi answered, though his answers only seemed to leave more questions.

"Where have you been this whole time?" Naruto questioned, a temper in his voice. "I mean we are talking like fifteen years here! How the hell have you been alive for that long, and nobody know? If you are Sasuke's brother why the hell did you _abandon_ him?!"

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly, gently placing her hand on Naruto's left bicep and giving him a squeeze. Naruto had yelled the last part, his hands a fist as if he was ready to punch the Uchiha straight in the face.

"I have many regrets that I have to live with," Itachi answered, still a calm facade despite Naruto's outburst. "Including the fact that I was a coward… I know I'm a coward. I can't make up for everything I did wrong, but at a minimum I can try to at least save Sasuke, I can try to save my little brother."

" _Itachi, make sure to look after Sasuke, okay?" Mikoto asked, a beautiful smile on her face._

" _Why do I have to look after him?" Itachi complained. "I want to see you and dad at the ceremony!"_

" _You will. But because your father and I will be in that ceremony," Mikoto answered. "Neither of us can keep little Sasuke from getting into trouble. That's why you have to look after him. I promise if you do a good job, your father and I will make sure to take you for a treat!"_

 _Itachi was frowning, but the mention of a treat lightened his mood a little. "Okay, fine."_

" _Good boy." Mikoto praised._

It took a moment for Naruto and Sakura to process the information that Itachi had just told them. Sakura wasn't sure if she was hearing him right, or if any of this was even real. If Itachi and Sasuke's parents were supposed to ascend the throne, then didn't that make the two of them the rightful heirs to the Uchiha?!

 _It had been a long day. Itachi had done his best holding his little brother and keeping the toddler entertained and quiet during the coronation of his parents. Part of him wanted so desperately to be up there beside them in the grand Uchiha castle hall where the celebration took place._

 _Sasuke had been a busy body. It was late now, hours after the sun had set and the day had become night. His mother had sent them up to their living quarters in the castle and had promised to come see them soon and tuck them in bed._

 _He had managed to get Sasuke put in his bed after he had fallen asleep, and thinking that it was much later than his mother told him she would tuck them in, he decided to go look for her himself._

 _Everything was quiet in the Uchiha castle. At first, it freaked the young prince out. Why was it so quiet?_

 _The first place Itachi decided to look for his parents were their bedroom. It was a little ways down the hall and around the corner._

 _All the lights were out. Had they gone to bed? Had is mother forgotten about her promise to tuck them in to bed?_

 _Itachi wasn't sure, but all of a sudden, his body began to tremble, as if it sensed something that he didn't. His little heart began to race as he slowly made his way to his room, as if he was subconsciously trying to prepare himself for something._

 _His parents bedroom door was slightly cracked open, only adding to the anxiety that the young Uchiha felt._

" _Mom? Dad?" Itachi called out softly, as if expecting them to answer. Slowly, he pushed open the door only to see darkness inside the room except for two vibrant crimson eyes that stared at him menacingly._

"Madara murdered them?" Sakura croaked, not realizing that she was crying until she felt the wetness of her tears that streamed down her face, dripping from her chin. Why was this world so cruel? For the first time, she truly felt anguish for Sasuke, listening to their story from his older brother.

Sasuke never had a chance. He had everything ripped away from him before he could even remember anything from his past. He was just a young child… and now, he was Madara's weapon, chasing after the lies of one deranged man.

"Sasuke never had a chance…" Naruto trailed off, his shoulders shaking from the anger he felt for his friend.

 _Itachi was terrified._

" _If it isn't my celebrated nephew." Madara announced, hatred and venom dripping in his voice._

" _W-What did you do? What happened to Mom and Dad?" Itachi weakly asked, trembling._

" _Oh them?" Madara asked, his voice ruthlessly mocking. "That doesn't have to be any of your concern since I will be putting you out of your misery just the same!"_

 _Madara turned towards his nephew, his blade drawn. In the moonlight that shone into the room where his parents were slain, he could make out the dark liquid stains upon Madara and his blade._

 _Itachi willed himself to run. He had to run, he had to get away! He didn't want to die! He was so terrified, a wetness began between his legs, soiling his pants._

"You abandoned Sasuke? You didn't even know what would happen to him! He was just a baby!" Sakura sobbed. Everything she was hearing made her feel emotionally overwhelmed. Why? What was Itachi telling her this? What did Itachi think she could do for him? For either of them?

"I have had to live with my cowardice my whole life." Itachi solemnly answered. "Believe me when I say that there is no forgiveness for what I have done. Dying would have been more merciful to Sasuke."

"So then, what do you expect me or Sakura to do with this information? Why us?" Naruto questioned skeptically. Sakura could tell that he was completely on edge, tempering his anger the best that he could, but the tight fists and white knuckles were a small tell tale sign of his struggle to try and remain calm.

"I have been keeping tabs on Sasuke. In fact, I've been the one tipping the Senju off to many of their movements."

"Then why didn't you tip us off in the last battle?." Naruto grumbled, eyes furrowed as he glared at the Uchiha.

Itachi however, completely ignored Naruto's comment, continuing on with his answers.

"I am aware of the fact that you spent a bit of your childhood growing up with Sasuke," Itachi continued. "I know your ambitions, Naruto. You can help me get through to him."

"What about Sakura?" Naruto pressed. "Honestly, she's been drawn into this conflict enough, and you want her to get further involved?" Sakura frowned. Why was Naruto being so defensive about her getting involved all of a sudden?

"Naruto," Sakura interrupted. "Don't forget that I was the one who decided to be a part of this. You wanted my help." For a moment, the blonde had a look of regret on his face, immediately realizing his hypocrisy.

"Sakura," Itachi began. "I can't apologize for the way that my brother has treated you. It's unacceptable, and I would not blame you for hating him, but I've also seen you bring out what's left of his humanity. You and Naruto together are the only form of bonds outside the hatred and delusions that have been instilled in him his entire life."

"I don't hate Sasuke," Sakura quietly admitted, causing both men to stare at her. "I don't entirely understand him, and I know just how ruthless he can be, but Sasuke isn't entirely to blame for himself! I can't imagine being manipulated and made to be a weapon of war."

"So what is it you want us to do?" Naruto interjected.

* * *

A week had passed since the Uchiha's attack on the Niwa, and occupation of the Niwa territory. The Senju had managed to cause a major complication in their plans, causing both sides to suffer massive casualties.

Sasuke had endured a brutal week of training with Madara, causing him to constantly feel sore and temperamental. The King had no problem tearing him apart, reminding him of his hate, of his goals, and what he would have to do to achieve those goals. Madara had also made sure to punish Sasuke for his failures.

One week of internal conflict and turmoil, and nightmares that visited Sasuke in his sleep. He dreamed of Naruto, as if in some other life they were comrades and friends, and the familiarity of pink and bright emerald green eyes would haunt him in his dream realm as well. He understood those dreams the least. The fierce look in her viridian eyes, and her determination had forever been etched into his memory, but the look she gave him when they encountered each other, on opposite sides of that battlefield was different.

Was it pity that those bright green eyes held?

No. It wasn't just pity, there was something else. He didn't understand the way that it seemed his very being, his very soul was drawn to her.

His _soul_... as if he had one.

The moon had taken over the sun for the night. Sasuke could tell that it was a full moon by the way the moonlight glowed in his room. Part of him didn't want to sleep; part of him was afraid to.

Tomorrow they would march out for the Hyuuga.

* * *

Meeting Itachi had only left Sakura with a mess of feelings and numerous questions.

How had things become so complicated?

In the span of a few months, she had gone from living a comfortable, familiar life to being a prisoner under the Uchiha and meeting Sasuke, to being saved by the Senju and Naruto, to running straight back to the battlefield, straight back to the danger and everything that had turned her life upside down. It was enough lifestyle whiplash for anyone's lifetime, and yet she felt that the tribulations that laid ahead would not be any less complicated.

Kakashi hadn't been kidding when he said that both her and Naruto would be called back to the Senju capital in regards to their campaign to intervene the situation with the Niwa.

They had spent just a couple days at the Hyuuga. Naruto wasn't willing to divulge much information about his personal talk with Hiashi, even though Sakura was curious, but she felt that he would probably share what info he wanted to with her when he was ready.

She couldn't help but notice a change between Naruto and Hiashi's relationship. Based on what Naruto had revealed about his past with the Hyuuga, Sakura could only speculate that they had come to some sort of a reconciliation. Whatever it was, it seemed to make things less tense between them for the time being.

Things between him and Hinata however, had become more intense. Sakura hadn't meant to, but on the night before they left to return back to the Senju capital to meet with Hashirama and the advisors, she had caught them in the Hyuuga gardens. Naruto had kissed Hinata, their lips meeting softly, and Sakura swore she had the worst timing for their intimate moments. In no way could she even bring up such a thing to Naruto, even if it was as swoon worthy as some of the romantic fiction books she had once read in her spare time. Sakura had lost faith that any sort of romantic fantasy like that ever existed.

For a moment, she wondered if she would ever find something like that, and when familiar onyx eyes and black messy hair spiked in different directions flashed in her mind, she quickly shut the image out, wondering why she would even think of _him_.

"Sakura," Naruto began, returning the pinkette from the thoughts of her mind, "No matter what they say, the blame is on me." The two had once again arrived at the familiar main building of the Senju capital where Hashirama resided.

"I'm not sure if anyone is to blame for what happened, Naruto." Sakura assured.

"Either way, I just want you to know, that nothing that happened was your fault. That's all." He replied seriously.

"Thanks, Naruto." Sakura acknowledged softly.

Pink and blonde entered the building, both unsure of how this would go.

"Hashirama and the advisors are in the meeting room." A butler greeted as the two of them walked through the front doors.

"Thanks, we will go there now." Naruto answered with Sakura close in tow.

It's strange that it had been over a week since Sakura had been here, and although she found it familiar and comforting, she still felt like an outsider here in the massive and brightly lit rooms.

A few steps and a couple hallways later, the two of them entered the meeting room.

"We are here to report." Naruto announced as he and Sakura bowed in greeting.

"Ah, Naruto." Hashirama greeted. Though his demeanor was calm and collected, there was a gleam in his eye that portrayed his excitement and relief upon seeing the blonde. "We are glad to see you back in one piece."

"Yeah, I made it out okay, thanks to Sakura." Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"I heard the story from Kakashi. Your actions have been nothing but impressive Sakura." Hashirama praised, causing the pinkette to feel embarrassed.

"I did what I could." Sakura quietly thanked.

"Hashirama, don't forget the purpose of our meeting." One of the advisors interrupted. Sakura turned her attention to the old man who talked, but she also noticed that Hiashi himself was also among the group of Senju advisors. She had almost forgotten that he had been summoned too since they did not travel back to the Senju capital together.

"Indeed." Hashirama agreed, though Sakura could sense that he wasn't entirely fond of the way the advisor pushed him. He sighed, guarding the expression on his face.

"As far as an official report goes, most of the details have been given to us by Kakashi." Hashirama began. "So, I don't think there is a need to go over those details again, unless there is something more personal you wish to share."

Both Naruto and Sakura shook their head to indicate that there was nothing further that they wanted to report.

"Intervening the Uchiha and Niwa was indeed a risk we played that didn't end well in our favor." Hashirama continued.

"Which is why we advised against it." one of the advisors quipped, causing Hashirama to shoot him a warning look before returning his attention back to Naruto and Sakura.

"Regardless of the outcome, I agreed to it." Hashirama rebuked. "And I appointed Kakashi in charge of the campaign. The circumstances were unforeseen and difficult on everyone. I've heard everyone's opinion on it. However," Hashirama paused. "Kakashi has asked for resignation of his position and has recommended you, Naruto, to take his place as one of my Generals. He's recommending you as your mentor."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at the offer. Did Naruto know that they were wanting to promote him to the rank of a General? How long had he known if he did? In her time spent with the Senju, not just anyone could get promoted to a General, especially not someone who's lineage came from a free clan that had no ties to the Senju.

"I'm aware." Naruto answered, his tone serious. "I've had some time to think about it, and I have chosen to accept the offer on two conditions." Murmurs broke out through the room as Naruto's answer.

"Boy, who do you think you are to think you can require a condition from _us_?" One of the advisors hissed, however, Hashirama held his hand up to silence any more resistance.

"No, I want to hear what Naruto has to say." Hashirama pressed.

"The first condition," Naruto began, "Is that I want Hiashi Hyuuga to act as my main advisor and representative on this council." Again, the other advisors seemed flabbergasted, as if what Naruto wanted was an outrage. Some even turned to give Hiashi a dirty, distrustful look, although the Hyuuga paid no attention to it. "Second, I would like Sakura Haruno to be assigned directly under me as a medic."

"There's no way we could acc-" Another advisor let his tongue fly, but couldn't finish their sentence before Hashirama cut him off.

"Silence!" He demanded. "There has been enough talk, enough disdain shown towards Naruto, who has clearly proven himself as someone who could benefit the Senju. I do not see either of his requests as being unreasonable."

Silence filled the room. Sakura felt awkward in a sense as all eyes were on her and Naruto, though she had barely said a thing.

"How does Sakura feel about your condition?" Hashirama asked, the attention of the entire room turned to the pinkette causing her heart rate to spike on the spot. This entire thing was catching her off guard as well as she shot Naruto a side look. His expression gave away his feelings, and she understood.

"I know that I'm not officially part of the Senju. Like Naruto, I am also an outsider." Sakura began, feeling like a knot was forming in her throat. "But you know that I will do everything I can to help you. I have no complaints about working under Naruto's command."

Some murmurs filled the room at Sakura's willingness to join under Naruto's ranks.

"We accept your conditions." One of the advisors agreed, albeit displeased. The others mumbled their agreements as well.

"Then it's official. Naruto, you will be given the title of a Senju General," Hashirama announced. "Kakashi will pass his knowledge to you, and mentor you for a few weeks to make sure you are ready for the responsibilities that come with it. Hiashi Hyuuga will be your advisor on this committee. As far as Sakura goes, she is not an official medic in the Senju army. However, should she decide to participate, she will be required to do nothing that you would not approve of."

Hashirama looked at Sakura, as if unsure if she would be okay with that. It's as if he could see the shock on her face as this was all news to her. "Sakura, do you agree to those terms?"

Sakura nodded. "I do. I support Naruto, and I will do so in any way that I can and am willing to." she answered confidently.

"Then it is sorted. Naruto, we-"

Hashirama was about to continue on with something else, when suddenly a Senju scout in uniform came bursting through the doors, causing some of the advisors to immediately stand from their seats to display their disapproval of the scout's actions.

"Lord Hashirama, sir!" The scout began, immediately bowing.

"What is the meaning of this!" One of the advisors who had stood barked, but the scout continued.

"An emergency, please forgive me for the intrusion!"

Hashirama frowned. "What is it?"

"The Hyuuga, they're under attack sir! They are requesting immediate aid!"

Sakura felt as if her heart at stopped in her chest. Under attack by who? Immediately she began to internally panic, and it was clear that both Naruto and Hiashi were panicked as well as Hiashi immediately stood from his seat and Naruto clenched his fists, trying to maintain a calm composure.

"Who!?" Naruto demanded, "When did this happen!?"

"Naruto, calm down." Hiashi instructed, coming to stand next to the blonde. Although Sakura observed that on the exterior, Hiashi seemed much calmer than Naruto, the panic in his eyes was evident.

"The Uchiha, sir!"

Gasps were heard throughout the room, and before anything else could be said, Naruto took off, with both Sakura and Hiashi calling after him.

Sakura felt torn. Hiashi stood there, staring at Naruto's back and she was unsure if she should chase after that hothead or wait for instruction.

"Hiashi, Sakura," Hashirama began. "Go. I will immediately assemble the men that are under Naruto's leadership and Kakashi. We will send reinforcements as soon as possible."

Hiashi nodded to the Senju leader, giving Sakura a knowing look before hastily taking off behind Naruto with Sakura in tow.

Again, Sakura found herself embroiled in a conflict that seemed to just draw her in, and she just couldn't refuse it.

* * *

People were screaming everywhere.

It was total chaos, and while Sasuke usually found the familiarity of the chaos something felt off.

He did everything he could to push all of his doubt and questions in the back of his mind as he led the Uchiha forces through the defenses of the Hyuuga.

Admittedly, the Hyuuga were putting up a formidable fight, even if they had caught them off guard in their attack.

Once again, blood stained the earth as lifeless bodies fell to them, the lives of the people they once were erased all in the name of war. Sasuke's katana, Kusanagi dripped with the blood of his enemies. Slowly but surely, the Hyuuga defenses were weakening as they pillaged their way through the Hyuuga village.

There was still no sign of Naruto.

The night turned to dawn, then to daylight as the battles raged on between Hyuuga and Uchiha.

Madara's last words replayed in Sasuke's mind.

" _You are to lead the assault against the Hyuuga." Madara commanded, demanding Sasuke's compliance._

" _I will not disappoint you." Sasuke answered._

" _Good, because there is no more room for you to disappoint me, Sasuke."_

" _What is the objective of our attack? What is it you want me to do?" Sasuke asked, though deep inside, he was still dreading what he knew Madara wanted from him._

" _I want to draw Naruto out. He might be a wanderer, but his pattern indicates that he visits the Hyuuga often, meaning that there must be something of worth to him there. Whatever it is, if it is threatened, then we will most likely draw him out, considering his way of life dicates that he hopelessly tries to protect everything that he holds dear."_

" _I will eliminate anyone who stands in our way of doing that." Sasuke stated flatly. Madara eyed him, as if wanting to say something, but had decided against it when he continued on with his plan for Sasuke._

" _Not only will you do that, Sasuke, but should we succeed in drawing Naruto out, you will finish him this time, without hesitation."_

" _I will finish what I started last time." Sasuke ground out, his temper threatening to flare._

" _And, should that meddling woman be there," Madara continued, Sasuke knowing that he was referring to Sakura, "I want you to end her life. She has no place and will never be anything to you."_

Part of him sinfully hoped that Sakura would not be here, that she would not show up alongside Naruto, but he knew that he was probably hoping in vain.

The last of the Hyuuga defenses and those seeking safety from the onslaught of the Uchiha had fled to the last place, the Hyuuga mansion where the head family resided.

"Where is your lord?" Sasuke spat, interrogating all the men who stood in defense of the last safe place all at once. His patience was becoming thin with this whole occupation. Part of Sasuke was irked that Naruto had still not shown in face. Did he not care for the Hyuuga?

With a fluid swing of his Katana, it took almost no effort from Sasuke as he cut the head clean off a Hyuuga soldier, without mercy as the severed head fell from the dead man's body. Immediately the other Hyuuga soldiers moved away from the lifeless body that fell to the ground. Fear was clear on their expressions, and they trembled so much as if it were almost audible. Still, they held their swords up in defense to the Uchiha General who held his readily, as if he could strike at any given moment.

With the flick of his wrist, Sasuke motioned for the men under his command to attack, yells filling the air as the sound of hard footsteps against the earth and metal ringing as they connected against each other. Chaos once again broke out, and Sasuke ended the life of three more Hyuuga without remorse and ease that dared to attack him, his crimson red eyes glowing.

Suddenly, the gates that stood to protect the Hyuuga mansion opened, causing all of the attention from the standoff between the Hyuuga and Uchiha to immediately turn towards the interference.

Out came a raven haired woman, dressed in something that was uncommon for any woman to wear. She was dressed in the garbs of someone high ranking in the Hyuuga army. She held a katana of her own in her left hand, the sheath of it decorated with violet ribbon.

"If you are looking for the head of the Hyuuga, he is not here!" She stated firmly, though Sasuke could detect the slight quiver of her voice as she tried to put on a brave display. His crimson eyes bore into her pale lavender ones. She looked so young, but her eyes held some sort of determination much like a viridian eyed woman did, however it did not strike him in the same way. "What reason do you have for attacking my home? For making enemies out of the Hyuuga?" She pressed. Her right hand now rested on the hilt of her Katana.

"Anyone affiliated with the Senju, is my enemy." Sasuke answered, his stance still poised for attack. "Do not think you will get any mercy from me, _woman_."

Without a moment's more hesitation, Sasuke raised his sword, ready to strike down the woman who stood defiantly before him amidst the chaos of fighting Uchiha and Senju, when suddenly, a flash of black and crimson red sent him flying through the air, almost sending the Uchiha flying ungracefully to the ground if it weren't for his quick reflexes.

When Sasuke's vision rose up, the person who stood before him froze him in his very place. All of a sudden Sasuke felt as if he was suffocating, his chest impossibly tight as his eyes widened and he felt dizzy all at the same time at his disbelief. _Impossible_.

A man who looked just like the elder brother in his family photo, albeit aged a bit stood before him, his own crimson eyes staring at Sasuke harshly and defensive.

"Who are _you_?!" Sasuke interrogated angrily, confused and caught entirely caught off guard. His form was now defensive rather than poised for attack. What was this? Who was this?!

"You would probably not believe me if I told you." The man answered back purposefully, the expression on his face still guarded and grim. He stood protectively before the lady Hyuuga as she composed herself behind him, now drawing her own katana.

"Answer me!" Sasuke demanded, clearly irritated and unwilling to play any games with the unknown man. "Why do you have the sharingan? Are you an Uchiha?!"

"The Uchiha is simply a bloodline, not who I am." The man replied, his glowing crimson eyes staring straight into him, his words mocking Sasuke.

"Hinata!" A voice yelled, almost in a panic, causing Sasuke's attention to momentarily be taken from the man who stood before him to a rush of familiar colors of blonde and orange that belonged to Naruto. He maneuvered his horse into the fray, almost recklessly as he quickly brought the steed to a sudden holt, jumping from the animal to the earth below.

"Naruto!" Hinata called, sheathing her blade and running to the blonde who enveloped her in a protective hug.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, "What are you doing here, you bastard!" His cerulean eyes were dark with the fury he held in them.

"Naruto," Itachi scolded. "You need to leave. Take Hinata with you."

"Yeah but-"

"Go! Now! This is between me and my _little brother._ " Itachi ordered.

His little brother? Was he referring to Sasuke as his sibling?! That would mean…

Sasuke gripped Kusanagi tighter, trying to get the whirlwind of emotions that were affecting him. He had to get himself together, and he had to remain composed.

"Itachi, you better not die, you hear me!" Naruto called, as he hoisted Hinata onto his horse before mounting the animal himself and racing off through the mayhem of the battlefield.

Sasuke let out an angry scream, no longer able to contain the storm of emotions within. Now he knew what here was precious to Naruto, and once again the blonde had escaped from him. Now there was this man claiming to be his older brother.

"Stop playing games! My brother is dead! Imposter or not, I will end you!"

Sasuke wanted more than anything to ignore this Uchiha man in front of him and give chase to the blonde instead, but it was clear that he was not going to allow him to pass him easily.

"Sasuke," The man began. "I am no imposter. I am Itachi, you're older brother."

"Lies!" Sasuke spat back. "My brother is dead! My family has been dead my whole life!"

"I should be dead, but I'm not."

"Then let me make sure that you _are_!" Sasuke launched from his stance, ready to cut down the man who claimed to be his deceased older brother before him, however he was blocked at the man swifty unsheathed a katana of his own in defense.

"Not yet," Itachi grunted, pushing Sasuke back. "You need to hear me out! I do deserve death, but you need to hear the truth first!"

"What truth?!" Sasuke ground out, once again moving to attack Itachi.

"Of what happened to our family! To mother and father!"

"They died honorably in battle! The Senju murdered them!"

"No," Itachi refuted. "They didn't. Follow me if you dare to find out more."

Sasuke watched as the man took off towards the woods, and away from the chaos that surrounded them with Uchiha and Senju soldiers fighting around the Hyuuga mansion. He had two choices. He could ignore this man completely, chasing instead after Naruto, or follow him as he had attempted to entice him to do.

Did he cut the bonds that he had no choice but to end, or did he hear out what this man who claimed to be Itachi had to say? For the first time in Sasuke's life, he felt conflicted. For the first time, he actually had to make a _choice_.

What did he mean by the truth behind his family? Did they not die honorably? That was all Madara had ever told him of them, and he had never questioned it, believing there to be pride in their honorable deaths.

With a frustrated growl, Sasuke ground his teeth, and decided to take off after the man who called himself his older brother as he also bypassed the chaos that was surrounding the Hyuuga mansion. He would deal with that later.

They found themselves in the thick of the forest, in a small clearing away from the main battle, but close enough that they could still hear the battle that was taking place.

"What do you know about my parents that I don't?" Sasuke demanded angrily as the stranger stopped and turned to face him, his sword sheathed once again for the time being as if he wasn't concerned about Sasuke attacking him at any given moment.

"Sasuke, our parents were murdered." Itachi answered, once again his irritatingly calm exterior in place, though there was clear seriousness in his eyes.

"By the Senju."

"No, not by the Senju," Itachi argued. "By the man who is your King." His words and accusation hit Sasuke like a wall of bricks as he immediately sought to deny his claim.

"Lies!" Sasuke countered in accusation. "Madara has always been my King, the King of the Uchiha!"

"No Sasuke! Madara is our uncle." Itachi revealed, his tone truthful. Sasuke was beginning to feel overwhelmed by everything that was coming out of Itachi's mouth. "Our father and mother were meant to become the King and Queen of the Uchiha! Instead, Madara murdered them and everyone else who could manifest the Sharingan so that none could hope to challenge him!"

"How am I supposed to believe you when I am still alive?!" Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. This would go against everything that he has ever known his entire life.

"That night, I saw what happened! And I ran away, like a coward! I should have protected you, as my little brother, but I couldn't." Itachi admitted. "Mother and father were already dead. I saw Madara standing over their dead bodies."

"Why reveal yourself now?!" Sasuke interrogated, clearly angered by the news Itachi revealed. His supposed older brother was a coward? Had he left not knowing whether his little brother would live or die?!

"For atonement. I abandoned you, Sasuke, but I cannot abandon you now. I have to correct my mistakes." Itachi's tone softened, as the look of regret was clear on his face. "I want to end the hatred of the Uchiha."

"After all these years," Sasuke's voice was slightly trembling. "You think that you can just come in and change everything?! Change who I have been for my entire life with a story and a few words?!"

"No Sasuke, I can't change that for you, what I am doing is giving you another choice. Another path out of the darkness that consumes you."

"No! This is my destiny!" Sasuke argued. "There isn't another way! How can I believe such a fabricated story?!" Once again, he raised Kusanagi, ready to strike, through it was evident that he was unsure, the seeds of doubt in his origin placed

Itachi drew his own Katana.

"Sasuke, I would gladly accept death for my sins," Itachi admitted, "but not until I know that you have heard everything I have to say!"

* * *

The Hyuuga village was a disaster. Sakura had tried to keep up with Naruto, but had lost him in the chaos of everything. Instead she found herself inside the Hyuuga mansion, the last safe building where all those who had escaped the onslaught of the village had managed to hide. She was lucky that some of the guards had recognized her and let her inside.

She found herself immediately healing those who were wounded, both civilians and soldiers alike, praying that Naruto was okay. She was told that Hinata had left to try and defend the Hyuuga in her absent father's place. She was hoping that Naruto or Hiashi had been able to find her.

Sakura hated that there wasn't much else that she could do. She couldn't fight out on the battlefield yet, still couldn't control the destructive powers that Tsunade had tried to teach her, no matter how much she wanted to… but at least she could help by healing those who needed it.

"Sakura!"

Sakura's head immediately snapped in the direction of the voice that called her name and she was immediately relieved when she found that it was Naruto with both Hiashi and Hinata.

"Naruto! Hinata! Lord Hiashi!" Sakura called, relief washing over her the instant they were in her sight. "Thank god you are okay!" Looking down to make sure that the small cut she was healing on a civilian was healed, she pushed herself up from her kneeling position and immediately went to embrace Hinata.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized softly.

"It's okay. Itachi saved me." Hinata admitted, causing the pinkette to release her embrace as she looked at her and Naruto dumbfounded.

"Hinata, we must get our people in order," Hiashi interjected. "The Uchiha will pay for invading our home."

"Yes father! I am so glad you are here! Hanabi is inside." With that, Hinata gave the two of them a nod, her eyes lingering on Naruto for a moment longer before she rushed off to direct and aid her people.

"Where's Itachi now?!" Sakura questioned. "I don't think this is how he wanted things to turn out! I can't imagine -"

"He's fighting Sasuke now," Naruto informed the pinkette, his blue eyes filled with struggling restraint and conflict. "He told me to leave him, but I'm going to go back for him anyway!" He confessed, his fists clenched tight.

"Naruto take me with you," Sakura begged, placing her right hand on his shoulder as the blonde turned to leave.

"Sakura it's danger-"

"Please!" Sakura pressed. "I can't let sit here knowing that you are out there, and that Itachi is out there! I know he can face Sasuke by himself but…"

"Fine. I guess I can't say no to you." Naruto reluctantly agreed. "Promise me though, that you won't put yourself in harms way, no matter what."

* * *

Sasuke was shaking. He didn't know what compelled him to follow Itachi, or even listen to his story, the vivid account of their past, and the truths that were lost.

No, Sasuke wanted to deny them. He wanted to believe that every word that came out this man's mouth was false, that this was all a horrible trick by the Senju, but there was this sickening feeling that told him the truth in this man's words.

He was so emotionally distraught that Sasuke began to feel nauseated, wishing to expel the contents of his stomach to the earth in a gut wrenching hurl.

"Why now?" He asked, his voice trembling.

"Because I can't let you fall any further into darkness. Sasuke, you have bonds. Bonds that can lead you into a whole different life. I know about Naruto and Sakura." Itachi answered. "The Uchiha love more than anyone else, but that love has led to a dark path of hatred. Our parents planned on creating a peace treaty with the Senju. That's why Madara murdered them. Peace wasn't good enough for him, not after losing Izuna to the war."

"Naruto and Sakura have nothing to do with this!" Sasuke hissed.

"You are wrong. Naruto is like a brother to you. He's the brother that I never was. I don't know what Sakura is to you, I don't think you even can answer that right now but she's the one who brings out the humanity in you."

"I have no humanity left. I don't _need_ my humanity." Sasuke spat. "You think that some _woman_ can change that?!"

"Sasuke, you will need your humanity. If you wish to make things right, to save your clan from the darkness and hatred you are cursed with, then you will need to do what I cannot."

Sasuke let out a spiteful laugh. "Are you really suggesting that I go against Madara, that I challenge him for the Uchiha?" he ridiculed.

"If you want to end the hate and suffering, that is what you must do."

"How is this my responsibility?!" Sasuke screamed, frustrated. "You, my supposed brother show up out of nowhere after leaving me for dead, for DEAD! And you expect me to just change everything that I am, change everything that I've ever known?! You expect me to defy the only man who cared for me?"

Sasuke's vision blurred, and a foreign wetness filled his eyes. When was the last time he had cried? That emotions had ever evoked such a powerful response from him?

No answer came however, when Itachi suddenly flew past him in a blur of black and red as the sound of clashing metal rang through the air. It took a moment for Sasuke's brain to register what had happened, as he turned around to find Madara and Itachi with crossed swords.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance, Itachi." Madara growled as the two of them were stuck in a struggle of power.

"I will not let you control Sasuke any longer." Itachi ground out.

"I won't need to control Sasuke. As far as I am concerned, after I kill you, I will end his life as well, but not before he watches his older brother die. He's lived his usefulness."

"I doubt my death will matter to him. I deserve death for my cowardice, and for failing to protect my brother from the darkness!" Itachi pushed Madara back and away, regaining his footing to attack, "but I will not allow it anymore!"

As if everything was unfolding at an impossibly slow time, Sasuke watched as the blonde and cerulean of Naruto, along with the cherry blossom pink and viridian of Sakura appeared, their faces turning from determination to absolute shock as Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief at the sharp metal of Madara's katana that pierced through the lung of Itachi, ripping his chest mercilessly as he dropped his own sword to the ground.

It took Sasuke a moment to realize that the scream of despair that he was hearing was his own.

Feeling like he was no longer in control of his own body, Sasuke reacted by immediately drawing Kusanagi and lunging at Madara who parried his attack easily.

"You will die, Sasuke." He taunted, before kicking the Uchiha in the gut, sending him flying to the hard Earth with a loud thud, his sword falling beside him.

Madara was gone.

"No! Itachi!" Sakura called, immediately running over to the injured Uchiha's side, her palms glowing a familiar pale green as her tears fell from her viridian eyes. Itachi's hand shot up, grabbing Sakura's wrists.

"No." He coughed out, blood coming from his mouth as he wheezed, struggling to breathe. "It's my time. I didn't have much time left." Sakura immediately understood what he was implying as more tears fell from her face. Naruto was standing beside them, eyeing Sasuke as he picked himself up from the dirt, his expression unreadable.

"Sasuke." Itachi wheezed as Sakura held his head in her lap. "You had to know the truth. I can't decide your future for you, but know…" He gasped as if he couldn't breathe any longer. "I loved you, little brother."

Itachi's body stilled as his eyes dulled, the life from them gone.

Sasuke felt tears fall from his eyes, as he looked at the body of his dead brother in Sakura's arms, and the sadness in Naruto's cerulean eyes, the three of them slightly stiff as they stood facing each other, as if each were uncertain of what would happen next.

Viridian eyes met bright crimson that faded to onyx.

For the first time, Sakura could see Sasuke's emotions of sadness, anger, and confusion as tears fell from them.

* * *

Well…

This took so much longer to complete that I anticipated, mostly because I felt like I had to get this chapter just right after the bomb and plot twist I dropped in the last chapter. I deleted and rewrote so many parts of this chapter.

I hope that this lived up to your expectations, and I really wanted Sasuke to have major character development in this chapter!

This is where you can start to expect some SasuSaku developments that are more than stares into each other's eyes, lol.

I am going to start working on the next chapter now that I feel that I was able to overcome my blocks in the chapter.

Thanks so much for reading, and I really would appreciate it if you could leave a review and share your thoughts with me!


	10. The Play of Power

Alright, so for all of you that kept saying more SasuSaku, it is finally coming! I don't want to give too much away yet because I obviously want you guys to read the chapters, but expect to see a lot more interactions between Sasuke and Sakura.

I really hope that the last chapter met your expectations, and that you are curious as to where the story is going to go now. Anyone have any predictions or guesses?

Anyway, I really want to thank everyone who has read and stuck with my story so far! I really hope that it has taken you into another world as you have read it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related.

* * *

 **Chapter X** : The Play of Power

* * *

 _With new truths or lies_

 _Our reality is forever changed_

 _Forgiveness and decisions_

 _Can it be obtainable?_

* * *

Sakura felt as if she was paralyzed to the earth as she watched Sasuke cry.

She had heard more of the conversation between Itachi and Sasuke than she probably should have, and so did Naruto. If Itachi's story hadn't been believable, the fact that Madara not only murdered Itachi, but had tried to kill Sasuke in a sneak attack after realizing that he was finding out the truth and that Itachi was alive was proof enough to the now deceased Uchiha's claims.

She could have saved him, but he didn't want salvation. He didn't want his life spared, even if it was inevitable that he would die from the sickness that had invaded his whole body.

Where would they go from here? Where would Sasuke go from here?

"Sasuke, I'm sorry about Itachi." Naruto finally said, though it was clear by his expression and his stance that he was hesitant to say anything.

"It doesn't concern you." Sasuke answered flatly.

"Hey I'm not looking for a fight here." Naruto retorted, frustrated at Sasuke's distant words.

"I don't have any intentions of fighting either of you. I no longer have a reason to." Sasuke admonished.

"So what are you going to do then, Sasuke? Obviously you can't go back to Madara." Naruto questioned, wanting to get some kind of answers from the Uchiha.

The once sad expression on Sasuke's face was now once again replaced with the stoic facade that Sakura knew all too well. Maybe Sasuke's emotions were the reason why he always had a controlled expression upon his face.

"Again, it doesn't concern you Naruto." Sasuke grunted, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Sakura called. "Sasuke! Are you really going to leave your brother like this?"

The former Uchiha general stopped, his left foot turning slightly as his head turned to the side to answer.

"Do what you want with his body."

"I can't accept that answer!" Sakura refused. "He was still your brother Sasuke! He deserves a proper burial! You're his family!"

"So what? Who is going to bury him? You? Naruto? The Hyuuga? Have you forgotten that I am an _Uchiha_? Have you forgotten the _lives_ I have taken? The _death_ I have caused?"

"Sasuke… even so, Itachi believed in you! He wanted to give you a chance to leave that darkness and that hatred behind!" Sakura reasoned, her voice raising with her frustration.

"There is no redemption for someone like me."

"You don't know that!"

"Would _you_ forgive me, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his voice serious, and his straightforward question catching the pinkette off guard. Sakura's face immediately flushed as her heart immediately started racing at the suddenness of his question.

"I-"

Sakura was cut off before she could even come up with an answer to Sasuke's question when heavy footsteps littered the ground, and Hiashi and the remaining Hyuuga surrounded them, their formation defensive as they had their weapons drawn.

Hiashi eyed Sakura, with a deceased Itachi on her lap, then Naruto, and then Sasuke who made no move to show aggression.

"Hiashi please, before you make any assumptions, Sasuke didn't do this!" Naruto began, immediately trying to diffuse the tension that was quickly amounting.

"Explain what's happened then. If Sasuke Uchiha so much as moves, I will not hesitate to kill him!" Hiashi warned, anger and impatience evident on his expression.

"It was Madara!" Naruto answered. "Sasuke knows the truth, and Madara tried to kill him for it and instead it was Itachi who… who got in the way."

A deep frown was on Hiashi's face as he stared at the Uchiha, who wore a defensive expression himself, but complied with remaining still. Hiashi then looked at Sakura again, the expression on her face confirming what Naruto depicted.

"Take Sasuke Uchiha into custody! I will deal with him at a later date when our people have been tended to." Hiashi ordered, a few of the soldiers immediately complying with the demand of their lord.

Sakura watched as Naruto held back his tongue, knowing that defying the currently furious Lord Hiashi was probably not the best idea. She watched as Sasuke made no struggle of resistance as he was cuffed and blindfolded to be taken away and locked up.

"We need a stretcher. We have one more casualty to add to our funeral ceremony and receive a proper burial." Hiashi further instructed. There were some expressions of question, but they were quickly silenced with a sharp look from Hiashi who dared them to voice their defiance.

It was when Itachi was taken from Sakura's lap that Naruto came over to her, offering her a hand to pull her up from the ground.

Sakura couldn't help but to bury her face in his chest, more tears threatening to spill from her eyes. In response, he placed a hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"It's been a rough day. Let's go back," Naruto began softly. "After we have rested and things settle down, I promise we can address what has happened."

Sakura nodded.

Everything had changed.

* * *

It was no use resisting the Hyuuga when Hiashi had ordered Sasuke to be taken as a prisoner.

He knew for a fact that if he truly wanted to, he could have easily escaped, but a small part of him screamed that he should stay put.

He _needed_ to stay.

The question that came from his mouth, almost as if it happened on it's own had completely caught the pinkette off guard, and her surprise was painted clearly on her face. He wondered what her full response to his question would have been, given that he had put her on the spot, but of course there was Naruto, immediately coming to her defense.

It almost infuriated him that now he was left with his question unanswered. He didn't understand why he cared so much, be he had wanted to know. Would she be able to forgive him if he were to decide to walk down the path that Itachi had laid out before him?

Not only would he have to end Madara, but he would have to make right what was wrong. He would have to redeem the Uchiha, and more importantly, he would have to redeem himself.

His words that he spoke to Sakura echoed in his mind.

 _There was no redemption for a man like him._

Without a word, without any resistance, he allowed them to tie his hands behind his back, to take Kusanagi from his hip and blindfold his eyes. It was clear that they were widely aware of the abilities of his Sharingan.

He would probably be thrown into a prison, and Sasuke had no clue how things would end for him, but part of him felt surprised at Hiashi's words when he had heard the man order for Itachi to be taken with the deceased, to be buried properly.

Itachi was no Hyuuga, but he must have meant something to them, something to Hiashi if he was willing to bury him among their dead. He almost regretted his cold words towards Sakura in regards to the body of his dead brother. It was not that he had necessarily meant it that way, but he was defensive. It was easier to lash out than to be emotional. It was easier to be cold and uncaring.

Not a word was said as some of the Hyuuga soldiers ordered to escort him took him to what he assumed was his intended prison. He heard the sound of metal screeching as a door opened, and he was unceremoniously shoved inside before the metal doors were slammed shut, and the sound of a lock clicked loudly in the room. He heard footsteps fade away.

His prison smelled slightly damn, but he quickly realized that it was still far nicer, and far more inviting than any prison cell in the Uchiha castle ever were. His hands were still tied behind his back, no doubt to prevent him from taking off the cloth that covered his eyes as he stumbled around to feel the prison. The walls were cold, but felt clean, and he still found a small bed with a thin mattress in the corner. He settled himself on it, trying to listen to what was happening around him, but it seemed eerily quiet.

Sasuke was now left in silence to deal with his thoughts and emotions alone.

* * *

Sakura and Naruto had followed Hiashi back to the castle. They could only observe as soldiers and civilians alike were busily bustling about, trying to clear out debris and their fallen comrades. The evidence of war was all around them.

"Sakura, may I ask that you please go tend to the wounded." Hiashi began, his voice low but not demanding. If anything, he seemed extremely stressed as he should be.

"Yes, of course. I will do everything that I can." Sakura answered, bowing to Hiashi before taking off into the castle to find her way to the infirmary and makeshift wounded area that she had previously been tending to. She left Naruto with Hiashi.

Naruto followed Hiashi as he entered his home, immediately taking them both to his office where he resigned to his chair, letting out a big sigh as if he had been holding one in this whole time. Naruto noticed that he looked exhausted.

"I'm sorry that this happened," Naruto began. He felt largely responsible for what had happened to them. It was him that Sasuke was trying to lure out, and he had targeted people that were precious to him. He had not been careful enough in hiding his secrets.

"It's not entirely your fault, Naruto." Hiashi reprimanded, rubbing his temples in a circular motion with his hands. "If you hadn't come with Sakura and your men, this would have been much worse. I could have lost Hinata and Hanabi too."

"Yeah, but it wasn't even really me that saved Hinata. It was Itachi. He was forced to play his hand much earlier than he expected. Sakura and I didn't even get to speak to him as much as we wanted to."

"Either way Naruto, it doesn't change the fact that you would come here and protect us without hesitation… I suppose after all, this is your home too." Hiashi reasoned. "I have known Itachi for a while now. He saved me once when I was out on a diplomatic mission and our party was attacked. I have always known the truth about the Uchiha."

Naruto frowned, suddenly some of his questions that had been lurking in the back of his mind seemed to have answers. "Is that why you had helped me? You knew, and that's why you tolerated my want to help Sasuke?" He asked. Hiashi nodded.

"In some ways, yes. However, at the end of the day, the problems of the Uchiha are not the burden of the Hyuuga. The Hyuuga or the Senju can't fix the problems of the Uchiha. Only they can."

"So that's why you won't do anything about it?"

"Precisely. I was willing to support Itachi, but ultimately, he was the only one with information that could have changed anything for the Uchiha, and anything for Sasuke."

"So what are you going to do with Sasuke then?" Naruto questioned, now approaching the subject that he didn't dare approach earlier.

"I don't have an answer for that yet. Technically he should be handed over to the Senju and a sentence decided by them." Hiashi answered.

"Yeah but -"

"Naruto, even if he is your friend, even if Sasuke isn't entirely at fault for everything that has happened that everything that he has done thanks to the schemes of Madara, he is still guilty. He has still taken the lives of so many."

"Your right, it isn't entirely his fault. I know… that the conviction of everything he has done they will want him dead… but if they kill Sasuke then this will never end! Sasuke is the only one besides me, Sakura, and you who know the truth! Even if we know the truth, if they end Sasuke's life, there will be no one else to challenge Madara, no one else to take the throne of the Uchiha clan. This will NEVER stop." Naruto argued. "Besides, haven't we all killed and justified it because of what we believe in?"

"If it were only that easy to look at it from that perspective." Hiashi sighed. "I am furious that my people have suffered under the hands of Sasuke, regardless of his reasoning. It doesn't change the fact that so many are dead, and that most of our home is destroyed. My people will call for justice. What would you have me do with that?"

"Tell them the truth! Tell them Itachi's truth!" Naruto reasoned.

"That still doesn't correct the pain and suffering, Naruto." Hiashi growled. "Besides, how can we even know that Sasuke would even change? That he would somehow become a man that wants _peace_?"

"He believes in peace for his people. He's believed that Madara was the one who could bring about that peace for his whole life, and was willing to do whatever he needed to make that a reality, no matter the cost." Naruto defended. "Besides, it's not like he can go back to Madara! Madara will kill him!"

"So what? If the Senju and I demand his blood, he would just be a refugee? Free to roam as he pleases, to do as he pleases if we don't convict him?" Hiashi ridiculed. Naruto frowned.

"No. That is not what I am suggesting either." Naruto replied. "I don't know how to answer that right now. All I know is Sasuke must be one hell of a screwed up mess right now. Regardless of the terrible things he has done, his entire life has been turned upside down. I know Hashirama doesn't believe that he is just an inherently bad person, and that you don't either. He could have been something entirely different, had there been different choices available to him."

A knock came to the door interrupting the serious conversation that was taking place between Hiashi and Naruto.

"Lord Hiashi! Lord Hashirama has arrived. He would like an audience with you!" A messenger informed, causing both Hiashi and Naruto to be surprised.

"Take him into the private meeting room. We will meet him there." Hiashi acknowledged, nodding the messenger off.

"No doubt Hashirama will want to hear everything. Come, Naruto." Hiashi beckoned as the two men left the elder's study.

Hashirama was indeed waiting on them patiently, his face a look of concern as both Naruto and Hiashi entered the private meeting room within the Hyuuga mansion.

"I was half expecting to arrive into an ugly battle." Hashirama commented as both men sat across from the Senju leader.

"Indeed. Events escalated quickly, and Madara's cunningness and lies have reared its ugly head." Hiashi answered.

"Is Sakura okay?" Hashirama asked, noticing that Naruto was with Hiashi, but not the pinkette.

"Yes. She is healing the injured right now." Naruto answered.

"What happened here?" Hashirama asked calmly, the hard expression on his face relaxing slightly.

"The Uchiha attacked, with Sasuke at the head of the army, but Itachi intervened." Hiashi began, causing Hashirama's eyes to widen.

"In his condition?" He asked incredulously, as if it was entirely unexpected. Now it was Naruto's turn to be confused at the realization that Hashirama had known who Itachi was. Did that mean that he also knew the truth behind Sasuke and the Uchiha?

"Wait, you knew?" Naruto exclaimed, his surprise evident. Hashirama turned to him, giving him an apologetic look.

"I did. Both Hiashi and I have been safeguarding his secret for a while now in exchange that he monitor the Uchiha. As someone who very much looked the part, he was able to slip in and out of the territory when he was older without anyone questioning him." Hiashi admitted.

"So… that's why… you guys usually planned for everything the Uchiha did." Naruto realized. "Is that why you were so supportive, Hashirama? What's going to happen to Sasuke now?!"

Hiashi raised his hand in front of Naruto, silently demanded the blonde to quiet down and stop his barrage of questions.

"One thing at a time, Naruto." Hiashi demanded, causing the blonde to frown.

"It's true that Sasuke isn't entirely to blame for what has happened between the Senju and the Uchiha. The essence of his actions were his belief that what he was doing was to bring about the peace that Madara wanted, to bring his clan victory and a better life." Hashirama began. "However, you know that even Itachi's story and his misfortune won't quell the unrest and demand for justice against him. This is going to be an ugly political matter."

"Indeed. At this point, Sasuke's chances are grim." Hiashi acknowledged. "Naruto and I were just discussing this. Sasuke is currently locked up in our prison. He allowed himself to be taken as our prisoner without any reality is, he could have escaped easily if he had truly wanted to. Even I could acknowledge that. His prowess with the Sharingan is not something to underestimate."

"Hashirama, regardless of what Sasuke deserves, if you allow him to be executed, you know that it won't end the hatred and the war between the Senju and the Uchiha! I know you believe that." Naruto voiced.

"It is not that I disagree with you Naruto, but what would you do? If your people wanted the death of someone who was their enemy and caused them so much pain and suffering, how do you tell them that he should be shown mercy, when he showed them none?" Hashirama seriously asked.

Naruto went quiet, thinking on how he could answer that question. It was true that dealing with the political aspect of all of this wouldn't be easy.

"Also, we have to consider if Sasuke even cares about his elder brother's story. It's obvious that Madara will try to kill him, both Sakura and Naruto can attest to that since it was Madara that killed Itachi in his surprise attempt to end Sasuke's life." Hiashi added.

"It's not like we are going to be able to come up with a sentence for him by tomorrow. This is something entirely complicated. We are dealing with the horrible crimes that Sasuke has committed, but we are also looking at the only chance to end things between the Uchiha and the Senju for good. To create the peace that both clans have longed for." Hashirama pondered.

"Lord Hashirama, Lord Hiashi, I have done everything I can to help those who were injured. Hinata and Hanabi are still tending to those that still need help, but no one's life is in danger anymore. I saw that you had arrived, Lord Hashirama. Please excuse my intrusion." Sakura asked, her demeanor confident.

"Sakura-" Naruto began but was cut off.

"I'll allow it. You are a witness to what has happened after all, and Itachi did trust you with his secret." Hiashi conceded.

Sakura entered the room, settling herself beside Naruto.

"What are our options then? Obviously we can't make any sort of decision without looking at this from every angle." Hiashi continued.

"Indeed. Normally this is a discussion that I would have to have with the entire council, but you and I both know Hiashi, that the council won't be reasoned with."

"The complexity of politics. This is why I originally didn't want to join the council, but in the end I didn't have a choice. Not if we wanted to support Naruto."

"Sakura," Hashirama began, changing conversation, "I am curious to hear what you think. I have heard both Naruto's and Hiashi's thoughts. As you know, Sasuke Uchiha is now a prisoner of the Hyuuga, and by extension, also the Senju."

"What do you plan to do with him?" Sakura inquired.

"The situation is complex. Not only is this about the possibility of ending this long feud with the Uchiha, but it also have political implications. The Senju will call for justice, and I can guarantee that his sentence won't be merciful."

Sakura's green eyes widened. "An execution?!"

"Most likely. The council of elders are out for blood. Sasuke Uchiha has shed so much blood and taken innocent lives in the name of Madara and the Uchiha."

"Yeah but… can he be entirely to blame?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"That's the complexity of the situation. Looking at it from all different angles, how do we come up with the best solution?" Hashirama pondered.

"Even with Itachi revealing the truth about his and Sasuke's lineage, it doesn't just justify everything that he has done." Hiashi added.

The room fell silent.

"Are you willing to go against the council?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence.

"Naruto!" Hiashi asked, immediately trying to put the blonde back in his place, but Hashirama raised his hand.

"No, Hiashi. Let Naruto speak."

"This is a conversation that I know you are supposed to have with the council present, and yet you have come here and are discussing it with us without the council." Naruto began.

"It's been fairly obvious that I have denied the wishes of the council before, such as making you a General, Naruto." Hashirama deadpanned. "Traditions will mean nothing if we cannot move forward."

"I have an idea." Naruto announced, causing both elder men to look at each other and back at the blonde, as well as Sakura's eyes to widen in curiosity.

Suddenly, a soldier interrupted them, bowing at the door.

"Lord Hiashi, preparations for the burials are complete. We will start with your permission."

Hiashi looked as if he was going to postpone the burials, but Hashirama spoke out.

"Hiashi, tend to your people. I will wait." Hashirama encouraged.

"I'll be sure to have a guest room drawn up for you." Hiashi thanked.

"Also, regardless of Sasuke's impending future, we are not savages." Hashirama added. "He should be allowed to attend the burial of his elder brother."

"Indeed. Naruto, Sakura," Hiashi motioned.

"We will escort him." Naruto agreed.

* * *

After meeting with Hashirama, Hiashi, and Naruto, Sakura had followed Naruto to check on Hinata and her younger sister, the four of them deciding to get some food and get cleaned up after Hiashi announced that the burials of their fallen comrades would commence in a couple hours.

It had been a while since Sakura had a chance to sit down and relax in any sense of the word, so a bath to get cleaned up after everything that had happened seemed like a luxury.

Her mind was a jumbled mess from everything that had happened, and she had barely any time to sort out any of her thoughts until now.

What was going to happen to Sasuke? What did Sasuke even want to do? He had allowed the Hyuuga to take him into custody without so much as a hint of resistance, and despite the fact that he had shed tears, he had replaced it fairly quickly with his stoic mask.

But Sakura could see it.

Sasuke's eyes couldn't hide the anguish that screamed from them. He was broken and lost in so many ways. Was his surrender his way of saying that he didn't care if he lived or died or not? Did he believe anything that Itachi had told him? As if that wasn't bad enough, Madara had even sought to take his life once his lies were found out.

Everything that Sasuke knew, everything that he believed in had been ripped away.

Hiashi had asked that she and Naruto escort him to bury his brother, but would he even want to go? What could she even say to him? She was terrified of him, and yet, part of her wanted to be there for him as well.

This wasn't entirely his fault.

Those words he had spoken to her, his voice smooth and low with an emotion she had never heard him express, asking if _she_ would forgive him replayed over and over in her head, the surprise of those words still catching her off guard.

She had been frozen in that moment, her brain unable to come up with a reasonable answer. She had barely managed to spill a word from her mouth when they had been interrupted and she had felt relieved at the time.

She did have her answer though. It was the first two words that came to her mind without a second thought before she had to carefully think about it.

 _She would_.

If he were to change, to fight for peace, seek redemption, _she would_.

Quite frankly, the fact that she had thought those two words without hesitance frightened her more than anything else.

Maybe she should ask him about it. She had to know. Even if he would most likely refuse to talk to her, she had to try.

Drying herself from her bath, she dried her short pink hair and put on a black sleeveless shirt and a black calf length split skirt with black leggings that Hinata had left for her to wear to the funeral. She slipped on some black sandals to go with it as well. She felt somewhat unfeminine in the outfit, but she blamed it mostly on her short hair that she was not used to. It had been a while since she had worn anything remotely feminine anyway.

She squeezed her face between her hands, making a face in the mirror and letting out a deep sigh as her heart raced.

She probably better go ask Sasuke before she lost her nerve.

Sakura made her way towards the prison. There were four guards stationed there in front of the prison, and more watching no doubt considering that Sasuke was a high profile criminal in a sense.

"I want to see Sasuke Uchiha," Sakura asked when the guards looked to question her approach.

"By yourself?" One of them asked, causing Sakura to glare at him.

"Yes." She stated firmly. "Prisoner or not, he should still have his health checked. I can handle myself."

The guards looked at each other as if still unsure of whether to let her pass or not, but in the end gave way considering everyone knew about her healing abilities by now.

"Fine. You will have ten minutes." The guard allowed.

"Thanks." Sakura nodded, entering the prison.

It was quiet for the most part, but in comparison to the prison that Sasuke had thrown her in the first time she had met him, this was like a guest room.

"What do you want?" Sasuke's voice sounded, his voice low and impatient from a few cells down. Sakura walked past the cells until she saw him, sitting on a small bedframe and mattress. His hands were still tied and his eyes were still covered.

Sakura gulped as she felt her initial determination fade. He couldn't see her so it wouldn't be too late to turn around and leave.

"I want to know," she finally asked, deciding it was too late to run away in the last split second.

"Know what?" Sasuke snapped back, though his voice immediately seemed to change and calm a little.

"If you meant what you said." Sakura finished.

"About what, _Sakura_?"

Sakura almost jumped when Sasuke said her name as if she didn't expect him to say it. It confirmed why his voice had somewhat softened after she had spoke to him.

"About you not caring about what Itachi said… and asking…" Sakura paused for a moment, almost not wanting to finish her sentence. "If I would forgive you." She asked quietly.

"Even if what Itachi said were true, it doesn't matter. There won't be anything I can do about it." Sasuke answered, ignoring the last part of her question.

"Yeah but…" Sakura trailed off, a silence falling between them.

"Is that all you came to bother me for?" Sasuke questioned impatiently.

"Uh… well… no. Lord Hiashi is burying your brother. He asked Naruto and I to take you to pay your respects." Sakura quietly admitted. Sasuke stood up, walking over to the bars between him and Sakura, causing her already heightened heart rate to increase as he closed to distance between them.

Before either of them could say anything else however, they were interrupted.

"Hey, I thought you were going to wait for me, I was looking for you." Came Naruto's voice as he stalked over to the two of them.

"Sorry, I thought I would be back before you were ready." Sakura quickly answered. Naruto looked at her, and then looked at Sasuke, a curious and suspicious glint in his eye as a frown crossed his face before he sighed.

"Did that bastard agree to seeing his brother?" He asked, decidedly ignoring whatever was happening between Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura was silently glad that he didn't press her further, or scold her.

"I um, was just going to ask him about it." Sakura answered awkwardly.

"Hiashi said we can take his blindfold off so that he can see, but he said that you have to give him this." Naruto continued, holding out a small vial with something foul smelling inside.

"What is that?" Sakura asked, wrinkling her nose at the foul aroma.

"It's some type of liquid to prevent him from using those creepy red eyes." Naruto shrugged. "The smell of it makes me want to gag."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the blonde as she took the vial. By the smell of it, she could immediately tell that it was some sort of tincture of herbs. She also wondered who and where the Hyuuga got a recipe for such a thing.

"So," Naruto questioned, his attention turning to Sasuke, "Are you going to see your brother or not?"

"Are you going to spare me some long winded speech?" Sasuke asked. Naruto grunted.

"I guess." the blonde answered.

"Fine, then."

Naruto motioned for one of the guards to come and unlock the cell door.

When the door was unlocked, Sakura entered the cell with Naruto closely behind.

"Are you okay with me giving you this?" Sakura asked Sasuke.

"Do I have a choice?"

"I would hold my breath." Sakura suggested as she brought the tincture to his mouth, tilting it so that he could drink it in one gulp.

There was a slight grimace on Sasuke's face but he was fast to control any evidence of the foul taste he experienced.

Naruto drew his sword, slicing the bindings from Sasuke's hands. Sakura and Naruto both took a step back as Sasuke reached up for the blindfolds upon his eyes as he pulled it from his face.

Onyx orbs met viridian as the first thing Sasuke saw was Sakura's face. Sakura felt like shrinking away under their intensity, but his gaze was soft in comparison to the coldness they usually held. Their eyes locked for a moment before he dropped the blindfold to the floor and averted his gaze to scan his surroundings.

"So does that nasty stuff work?" Naruto inquired, breaking the silence that had fallen between all of them.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and exhaling it in a controlled manner.

"Seems to." he finally answered.

"Okay, then let's go." Naruto announced.

"You really going to let me walk around without restraints?" Sasuke asked as if the idea of it was insane.

"You don't even have a weapon… and yeah yeah, I'm sure you can do plenty of damage without one. I don't think you will cause a problem, Sasuke." Naruto exclaimed confidently. "Besides, even if you tried, I would kick your ass, and if I fail, all it will take is one punch from Sakura!"

"Tch." Sasuke grunted. "You trust too easy, you idiot."

"Yeah but you know I'm not wrong." Naruto shrugged. "We need to have a talk later… you too, Sakura."

"What makes you think I am interested in anything you have to say?" Sasuke insulted.

Sakura was filled with confusion but also a small suspicion of what Naruto might have in mind. What was he thinking? She glanced at Sasuke who seemed entirely unamused by Naruto's words.

"Trust me, you're going to want to hear what I have to say."

* * *

Awkwardness wouldn't even begin to describe how Sasuke felt as the blonde and pinkette beside him escorted him through the Hyuuga compound and out towards their burial fields.

Hyuuga soldiers glared at him. Others whispered, and some even questioned what was going on, expressing their clear dislike at him. He had deserved their sneers and nasty words, but Naruto would give them one look that silenced them.

Sakura said nothing as she walked beside Naruto as they took him to the burial place of his older brother.

Sasuke knew nothing about this man, other than the fact that he was his older brother, or at least him and everyone around him claimed he was.

Even if he wanted to deny it however, and call this man a liar, deep down he knew that he would only be lying to himself.

Sasuke had no memories of his older brother, and yet when he looked at his casket he felt a pang of sadness and disappointment.

He would never get to know this man. He will never get any more information about his history.

He had once again lost his brother that he had thought he already lost once.

Sasuke didn't cry as resting words were spoken on behalf of this man, and the casket was lowered into the ground and dirt was being shoveled upon it.

Sakura and Naruto stood beside him silently, most likely offering their condolences and mourning for his death in silence. He glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eyes, the look of sadness evident on her face. Something inside him twisted in a way that made him feel sick. Was he allowing himself to feel guilt? He was sure that he had caused this sadness upon her features many times, and had not once cared before.

There was no redemption for him. He didn't deserve it. It didn't matter that all of a sudden killing meant nothing to him. It didn't matter that Madara's attempted attack on his life had shown him the reality of the lies that he was living.

He was a harbinger of death, and deserved punishment as such. He could not blame them for their hatred against him.

There was nothing left for him, and in a way, he was ready to give up on living.

The ceremony was short, and soon after Naruto and Sasuke were escorting him back to his prison cell. His eyes burned. They had been burning this whole time thanks to whatever it was that Naruto had been instructed to give him to drink, but he refused to say anything or act on his pain. It had indeed made it so that he could not activate the eyes of his clan.

They were coming upon the grounds of the Hyuuga mansion when suddenly Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shirt, yanking him to an alley between the walls and one of the buildings. He jerked his head to motion Sakura to follow him as she gave him a confused and alarming look before stumbling after them.

"What the hell!" Sasuke growled, instantly irritated at the blonde.

"Just shut up, Sasuke. Look you and Sakura need to hear what I have to say. I can't say it with other people around."

"Naruto!" Sakura whispered harshly, unsure of what to do, but she didn't continue to say anything else.

"Fine. Spit it out." Sasuke snapped.

"Look, I don't have a lot of time to explain any details but if I'm going to do this then Sasuke you have to be on the same page."

"Do what?" Sasuke asked, clearly becoming more impatient by the second.

"Break you out of prison." Naruto answered seriously causing both Sakura and Sasuke to look at his as if he had all of a sudden grown a second head.

"Naruto what do you mean break him out of prison?" Sakura interrogated.

"Sakura, I will tell you details later," Naruto hastily answered. "Right now I need this bastard to swear that if I do it, he's going to to fight Madara for the Uchiha and end this war."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. Fight Madara for the Uchiha? Like this? He would no doubt be a fugitive from both the Senju and the Uchiha if whatever plan Naruto had up sleeve worked. He would be going up against him with nothing.

"Swear it, Sasuke!" Naruto growled as he clenched the Uchiha's shirt in his fist. "Make better use of your life instead of submitting to death."

Sasuke's face because serious. Whatever Naruto was scheming, he was offering Sasuke a choice. He was challenging the Uchiha to live.

Maybe this way, he might be able to obtain even the smallest amount of redemption.

"I swear, _Naruto_."

* * *

The walk back to the prison after Naruto had yanked them both off to announce his plan was silent. Sakura had no idea what to say, or if she should even say anything at all.

She remembered that both Hiashi and Hashirama didn't seem particularly aligned with the idea of sentencing Sasuke to the capital punishment that they knew he would be given, but dealing with the political aspect of this whole thing was going to be far from easy.

Naruto had asked if Hashirama was willing to defy the council. He had said that he might have some sort of a plan.

Sakura was trying to piece together everything she knew in order to try and understand what the blonde was thinking.

If Naruto helped Sasuke escape and was caught, would that make him a fugitive and a traitor? What did Naruto expect from her in all this?

Sasuke was once again bound and blindfolded by guards when he was returned to his prison cell. She had caught his gaze on her as they tied the blindfold around his eyes, his expression unreadable, causing Sakura to feel a heat rise to her cheeks even though she didn't understand why.

Did he deserve a second chance? A choice he could choose on his own?

His misguidance in his life had led Sasuke to become the ruthless person he was, but even so, Sakura had seen a small amount of good in him.

Where would his path take him under different guidance if he was willing to change?

They didn't say any good byes as Naruto and Sakura left the prison and headed back towards the mansion. It was now late into the night and neither had slept in almost two days.

"Sakura, I know you're tired and want to sleep," Naruto started, his voice calm yet uncertain. "but I want you to hear me out."

"Naruto, if you do this, what about Hinata?" Sakura asked, knowing that she wouldn't refuse Naruto's forwardness in wanting to have this conversation now.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, as if dumbfounded at her question.

"Yes, you idiot. If you do this and get caught, you won't be able to be with her, will you?"

Naruto's eyes widened at Sakura's words, but it seemed that he realized that she knew about them.

"No," he answered shakily, "I won't… but if that sacrifice means that we can bring peace to the world, and that neither of us will have to live in fear of the future, then that's all that matters. It doesn't matter how much I love Hinata if I am weighed down with guilt my whole life."

Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't even begin to imagine what you're feeling."

The two of them had settled in a private garden area, talking quietly.

"Sakura, if I don't do this, then you know the capital punishment will be given to Sasuke," Naruto began.

"Yeah, I do… and even with the horrible things he's done… If they do that, this war will never end. Madara will continue the cycle of hatred." Sakura answered.

"But the Senju and the council of advisors will never let him off, even if he isn't entirely to blame. It would cause severe political unrest and could possibly cause civil war amongst the Senju."

"If Sasuke escapes on his own though, he will have virtually no chance." Sakura acknowledged.

"If Sasuke is to have any chance at defeating Madara and taking back the Uchiha, he's going to be a fugitive and he is most likely going to need any aid he can get from the free clans, and let's face it, he probably doesn't know the first thing about any of that."

Sakura couldn't help but give a light chuckle at Naruto's blatant insult on Sasuke's inability.

"I suppose that's true."

"That's why I have to go with him." Naruto reasoned. Sakura was about to voice her concerns about Naruto's idea when a voice interrupted them.

"Doing this will also prevent internal conflict and political unrest among the Senju."

Sakura and Naruto jumped as Hiashi walked out of the shadows of the Hyuuga mansion, his arms crossed, but his expression soft.

"Hiashi you -"

The elder cut Naruto off.

"If you are planning on being a fugitive, you should probably work on your stealth skills." he reprimanded softly. "I saw you pull Sasuke in between the walls. I knew you would be planning something."

"Are you going to stop me?" Naruto questioned defensively. Hiashi stared at the blonde for a moment before giving his answer.

"No. On the contrary Naruto, I think you are right." Hiashi admitted. "This is a risky political play of your own, but it's the only option for Sasuke to rectify his wrongs, keep the Senju together, and save Hashirama from being in the middle of of it all. You know however, that he won't approve. Not of this."

"I know. That's why he can't be in on it. At first I thought I should tell him the truth, but if he knows the truth and the advisors find out that he knew, then he will be tried as an accomplice and then we will have accomplished nothing!" Naruto explained.

Sakura couldn't help but understand and agree with everything that Naruto was saying, but she still wanted to know what it was Naruto wanted from her.

"Naruto," Sakura asked, wanting to know the answer to her question before this conversation continued, "What is it exactly do you want from me?"

Naruto looked at her, his expression intense.

"Sakura, I want you to decide," Naruto asked seriously. "Whether you want to stay, or come with us."

* * *

A lot of dialogue this chapter, and some small SasuSaku moments, but if she decides to go with Naruto and Sasuke, expect a lot of relationship development between the two.

I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed and left me your thoughts! I don't know how you guys are feeling about the story and the direction it's taking if you don't.

Thanks for reading!


	11. The Choices We Face

Yeah, here I am! It's been a while!

I am sorry to all of you that have left me a message wondering where I was at. Truthfully, I was a bit burned out and slightly disappointed with the feedback that I got during the last chapter, but after leaving it for a few months and re-reading it, omg! It definitely was not the best quality chapter that I have put out. So many typos, repeats, and overall lack of details.

Anyway, I do want to see this story finished, so I am going to finish it. I have also been super busy because of work, but I will do my best to try and update consistently till I finish this fic! I already have some ideas swirling around in my head for more stories I want to write, but I just can't stand the idea of having several unfinished fics. None of them will ever get done if I do that.

So, for you guys returning to read, I really appreciate your dedication and support, even through some of my not so great content. I still have a LONG way to go before I feel that I am a good writer.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related

* * *

 **Chapter XI** : The Choices We Face

* * *

 _Forge a new path_

 _The future unknown_

 _We now choose ourselves_

 _The consequences we face_

* * *

All of time had almost felt like it had come to a standstill as the words spoken with a dead seriousness from Naruto's mouth swirled around in Sakura's head. Naruto's gaze was intense while Hiashi observed quietly, his gaze almost piercing as he watched them. If he had any objections to Naruto's idea of even letting her go along with them, he was not voicing them and keeping his opinions to himself.

"Go… with you?" Words finally found their way out of Sakura's mouth after what seemed like an eternity of a suffocating serious silence.

"I will respect your decision either way, Sakura. I… should feel ashamed for even asking, but I know what you are capable of. Not to mention, I tend to be reckless so someone who could keep my stubborn ass alive -"

"I'll go." Sakura answered quietly, her voice almost a whisper. She quickly glanced over at Hiashi who still hadn't moved since he had stepped in on their conversation before her viridian eyes met with the intense cerulean eyes of Naruto. "I'll go." She repeated again, this time her voice a little louder.

"Seriously?" Naruto questioned as if in disbelief, his mood almost changing to something that was much more lighthearted and relieved in an instant. "I mean, it will be dangerous. We will be fugitives you know... you'd be giving up a good life with the Senju."

"I know what it will mean, Naruto. But you said so yourself - someone has to keep your stubborn ass alive, and I have a feeling someone is going to have to keep you and Sasuke in line."

"Yeah you seem to do a much better job at that." Naruto deadpanned, causing the pinkette to immediately give him a death glare and a punch to the shoulder.

"I'm being serious Naruto. You're so hot and cold sometimes." Sakura retorted with a frown.

"I honestly don't know how to respond to that…" Naruto trailed off, the reality of their intent settling into his thoughts. It was Hiashi that interrupted the silence that had followed however.

"If you are going to do this… Naruto, Sakura," He began, his voice was hushed, but the seriousness of it was easy to catch. "The sooner, the better. It will leave less time for the council to deliberate what to do with Sasuke, and catch them off guard. Naruto, I don't think that I have to remind of the position that I am in."

"I wouldn't dare." Naruto answered, his and Sakura's attention focused on the Hyuuga patriarch.

"I'm sure you can imagine the grim and difficult situation this puts me in, however, I would not support you if I did not think that you are right." Hiashi continued. "There is also… another private matter that I would like to discuss with you Naruto." Sakura looked at Hiashi and then at Naruto who had a somewhat interested expression on his face. No doubt it was probably best that they each go their separate ways so as to not raise suspicion of their late night encounters.

"Well, I need to go to bed. I am sure that we will have a lot to do in the next couple days." Sakura answered, respectfully bowing to Hiashi to take her leave. "Lord Hyuuga, once again please allow me to express my gratitude for your kindness and support. Have a good night."

Sakura shot one more glance at Naruto, his cerulean eyes holding a hint of uncertainty yet a calmness to them as well. She could only guess what the Hyuuga had wanted to discuss with the blonde, and she was fairly sure it had to do with his daughter.

"You know that in doing this, there is only so much that I will be able to do to protect you, Naruto." Hiashi began once he felt that Sakura was out of sight, and out of possible hearing range.

"I do… but the more I think about it, the more I think it's the only way." Naruto answered firmly.

"I overheard your discussion with Sakura about my daughter." Hiashi admitted. "I must admit that I have respect for you for choosing a better future for all of us, rather than your selfish ambitions." Naruto knew that Hiashi was referring to some of the selfishness he had portrayed in his younger years.

"Don't think it's something easy for me." Naruto sighed, his breath exhaling shakily. "But Hinata's happiness and welfare is all I have ever cared about. You've made it clear where you stand, and where tradition stands. I know I said I would commit to those traditions… but I know that I cannot now."

"Indeed." Hiashi answered sharply. "However, I want you to know…" Hiashi paused for a moment as if trying to figure out how to best speak the next few words that would come from his mouth. "If you make it out of this alive, if peace was brought about after such a long time of hatred, I would not hesitate in accepting your hand for my daughters marriage, regardless of traditions. At a minimum I would owe that to you - Hinata loves you. I do not think she would ever look at anyone else. You would be worthy to me."

Naruto's eyes widened with the honestly that Hiashi shared in regards to his daughter.

"You mean-" Naruto was at a loss for words, struggling to form a coherent sentence in his brain. If he made it out alive, the one other thing he had ever wanted in this life, he could have. Hiashi was willing to let him have a life with his daughter.

"Yes, but Naruto. I do not want you to give my daughter false hope. I would rather her be left wondering where you both stand, than you to give her a false promise and never fulfill it. In regards to that, I will leave you with a family gift. Whether you hold on to it to remember your promise, or give it to her now, I will not intervene either way… just consider your resolve, and Hinata's feelings."

The look of dumbfoundment was written all over Naruto's face as he tried to comprehend what exactly Hiashi was implying until the Hyuuga reached into the left pocket of his pants, holding out a small black box to him, his face stern, but a soft glint in his eye. Naruto looked at the box for a moment, blinking as if he was trying to dispel whatever illusion was before him.

"Are you going to take it or not?" Hiashi finally asked, seemingly impatient at Naruto's stiff form.

"U-um yeah, sorry it just… wasn't what I was expecting." Naruto admitted sheepishly. He reached out, gently taking the small box from Hiashi, stashing it away safely in a pocket of his own pants. He would take a look at the contents of the box later in private, but he had some suspicions as to what it was already.

"Good. Do not speak of this to anyone else. As far as the Hyuuga elders are concerned, my daughter is still open for a amicable marriage. Let them think that for the time being." Hiashi instructed. Naruto nodded.

"Thank you, Hiashi."

Hiashi gave Naruto a curt nod of acknowledgement before turning to leave. "I think I will retire for the night. You should as well." With that, the Hyuuga patriarch was gone, disappearing back into the mansion, leaving Naruto alone in the gardens. The moon was nearly full this night, both beautiful and eerie in a sense as it's glow illuminated what flowers and leaves remained.

Even with Sakura willing to aid him on his more than risky, and most likely suicidal campaign, just breaking Sasuke out of prison was going to be a feat in itself. Typically he would think that a new moon would be the best time to attempt an escape with the cover of darkness, but the risk of that is them having to use other means to light their way if they need. They also didn't have time to wait for a full moon. A full moon would allow them to escape without any other sources of light, but it would mean that they would be more visible. If he were to guess right, they would have a full moon in two nights.

Naruto was going to have to come up with a plan to escape in two nights, as well as wrap up his business and tie up any loose ends for the meantime.

Would Hinata accept him like this? Would she understand that this was something that he had to do? Naruto fumbled with the small box in his pocket, remembering the fresh words of Hiashi in his mind. Would it be better to leave her wondering where it was they stood?

* * *

Sasuke really hated prison cells. In comparison, the Hyuuga had a much nicer prison than that of Uchiha castle. He had noticed it when they had first thrown him into a cell as their prisoner. A bed, blanket, and pillow was more than Sasuke felt he deserved. Though disgruntled by their own grudges, even the guards were civil though they would probably have been happy to let him sit there and starve to death and afterwards, rot away. He would probably have been thrown into some ditch after the stench was too much.

Instead however, here he was, getting a bed to sleep on, food to eat, and even the courtesy of being there for the burial of the brother he had never known.

He was a mess. His mind was a mess, and he wasn't sure if he was ever going to sort out the overlapping trains of thought that haunted him. It was taking time for everything to fully come to his understanding.

He had a brother who had been alive.

Madara murdered his family.

He was a prince...

But, also a murderer. His body was stained crimson with all the blood he had spilled. If there was a hell, he was sure that it was waiting for him without mercy. His soul was the color of the sins he had committed.

The lies he believed his entire life… the thoughtless acts he committed, and the emotions he suppressed...

And then there was Naruto, who was still willing to help him all this time. He had stayed around like the worst parasite, despite Sasuke's feeble attempts to push him away. The one good deed he did years ago when they were young, perhaps it was the only saving grace he deserved.

Then there was vibrant pink hair and defiant viridian eyes - they haunted his mind far more than he liked, but it was like he was attracted to something he knew now would never be in his reach. Sakura unknowingly had reached into him and pulled out the only bits of humanity that had, and he was unsure of why.

Even with his eyes bound, he felt as if he was seeing all these things that he could not before. For the first time, he felt… ashamed - remorse perhaps. He felt as if he did not care whether he lived or died, even if deep down he knew that those thoughts and feelings were a lie.

No, he didn't want to die. He did not want to rely on anyone, especially the words of the most idiotic blonde that he had ever met, but he was the only person along the lines of _friendly_ that he had. Even if Sakura had been there too, even if she had come to see him on her own accord before taking him to the burial of his brother without telling anyone else, it did not mean anything, it couldn't mean anything.

Irritated, Sasuke clenched his fist as he sat on the small bed in his cell, trying to steady his breathing to an even pace, and calm his racing pulse. He had gotten worked up in all of his frustrations without realizing it.

What is it, that Naruto could do for him at this point? Why did Naruto make him swear to take down Madara and take control of the Uchiha? What could he do to end this war? Naruto had told him to make something better of his life, but how much of that life did he even have left? He knew that without a doubt, he would be sentenced to death if he were to stay here and let the Senju decide what to do with him. Even that would hardly bring justice to the lives he had taken from the Senju and from the innocent.

Even if they were successful - and there was a very slim chance of that - if he became the rightful ruler of the Uchiha and ended the war on that end, would that guarantee that the Senju would not want to wipe them off the face of existence? Would the cycle of hatred continue?

He would never be worthy of anything. Even if he somehow was able to right some of the wrongs of his life.

What would Naruto risk, just for someone like him?

* * *

Even with as exhausted as Sakura knew she was, she slept terribly that night, her mind racing nonstop as if it was determined to torture her. With the adrenaline gone from the Uchiha invading the Hyuuga, Itachi and Sasuke, the funerals done, and her decision to help Naruto, her body was realizing the toll - physically and mentally, that everything had taken on her.

She had probably made the worst decision of her life, and even if every logical part of her was screaming to take it back, to back out and forget about it, she could not. She would not.

Sakura needed to see this through. Naruto was someone that she cared about deeply as a friend, a brother that she never had. He had been a supporting pillar when she had lost everything. She owed it to herself, her father, and her family. Never in a million years did she ever think that her life would end up like this. An orphan, the last of her clan, and with special abilities that would die out with her. If this was her fate, her destiny, she would see it through.

There was also her dangerous curiosity towards Sasuke. Time and time again, there was something that drew her to him like a moth to a flame. It had taken her a long time to admit it. In reality, she should be absolutely furious about him, she should despise him and everything that he had done but… she wanted to help him. Sakura knew that there was a good man deep down underneath everything that he portrayed, everything that he was taught.

She hated her curiosity.

Aching all over, Sakura decided to take a hot bath, letting the heat soothe her muscles. Even with the healing abilities she had learned from Tsunade, she knew that she could dull the pain, but she was too tired to care to do so. She needed to save her energy for what she knew was coming in the near future.

The sudden scene of Naruto pinning Sasuke to a wall, making him swear to something with hardly any details played over in her head. The words that tumbled from Sasuke's mouth echoed in her head. That he swore to do something with his life. To right the wrongs that he did, or maybe at least _attempt_ to.

Maybe that's what compelled her to accept Naruto's request. Even if Naruto didn't see it, she saw the slight change in Sasuke's eyes that day, a small flicker of hope, and it gave her a small amount of hope too. She gave a small smile. Naruto seemed to be good at that. Despite all odds, that idiot had something special about him. She felt it the first time that she met him. He befriended people easily, and had a straightforward sense of wrong and right, even if that made him idiotically stubborn sometimes.

A new day was beginning, and she was unsure of what the future held.

Squeezing the water from her short hair, Sakura felt some relief that the hot bath had given her aching body as she climbed out the bathing tub, ready to get dressed for the day. It was still warm, but the weather was beginning to get chilly in the early morning and nights.

Heading back to her room, she decided to wear practical clothes for the day. The fact that her hair was short made it easy to deal with, and instead of parting it down the middle like she had done for so long, she had began sweeping it to the side. It made her feel like she looked a little older - perhaps a little more mature. She had matured she felt, quite considerably over the last few months.

She decided to dress in an all black tunic for the day with a mock neck. It was sleeveless, and she completed her outfits with black leggings and boots. Her tunic had slits that went from mid thigh up to her hip. Perhaps the monotonous color was a little boring, and she did like the wear red the most, but black just seemed appropriate for what was to come.

Heading down towards the main dining hall, she figured she would get some breakfast, maybe talk to Naruto for a bit before offering to help with any soldiers or civilians that were still wounded, or help rebuild the damage to Hyuuga village. Right now, it was a waiting game. Whatever Naruto was planning, she would have to wait until he divulged the details of his plans to her.

Waiting was making her anxious.

* * *

"You want to interrogate the prisoner?" Hiashi asked, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Naruto's serious face. Two other Hyuuga guards stood with them. Naruto was hoping that Hiashi would read between the lines of his request.

"Considering that I was the acting general of the Senju troops that were dispatched, I feel that I should do a preliminary interrogation. After all, we still aren't quite sure of what happened. The fact that the Uchiha General surrendered so easily is something worth being investigated." Naruto persuaded, doing his best to act like someone would with his status. Hiashi grunted, but the quick flicker of his eye immediately gave away to Naruto that Hiashi understood why he was going under this pretense.

"Fine. I suppose I should allow it. It might yield us more information to present to the Senju council when they convene in a couple days." Hiashi conceded. He made a quick gesture at one of the guards in the room. "My only stipulation is that he take the ocular potion once again."

"Sir." The Hyuuga soldier greeted.

"Let General Uzumaki through to interrogate the Uchiha prisoner. Go fetch a vial for him and relay to the guards at the prison that I am allowing this." Hiashi commanded.

"Yes sir," The soldier confirmed before looking to Naruto. "This way please, General." Naruto nodded, giving Hiashi a knowing look before following the soldier out of the room.

Naruto had been tossing and turning most the night himself, thinking of how exactly he was going to execute the prison break and escape, and what they might need. Their first focus would have to be escaping successfully. Even if Hiashi was in on their deception, he would have to do everything in his power to treat it like a real betrayal. It would not be easy for either of them. Hiashi would not go easy, and Naruto would be prepared for that.

He had decided that the first thing that he needed to do was find a way to talk to Sasuke privately once more, even if it was under false pretense. If there was ever a time that the fact that Naruto had a history was Sasuke to bite him in the butt, it was biting him a little in the butt right now. No doubt to some it might be suspicious that Naruto would visit the Uchiha.

With the ocular vial in hand, Naruto continued to follow the guard that escorted him towards the prison building. It was a little brisk this morning, and Naruto was slightly regretting dressing as lightly as he did. He was wearing an orange tee and black pants and shoes, his katana slung around his back. Even if he was a General, the fancy clothes and things that went with that were not his thing.

"Lord Hiashi has allowed General Uzumaki some privacy to do some preliminary interrogations of the Uchiha prisoner." The guard stated as the two of the reached the prison area in which Sasuke was being held.

The two guards who were guarding the prison looked at each other, as if dumbfounded at the suddenness of such an unofficial investigation, but made no voice to object.

"Well, if Lord Hiashi commands it, then we will abide." One said, stepping out of the way. "If General Uzumaki needs -"

"I will be fine on my own." Naruto intervened, his voice serious, but lighthearted. The guards once again looked at each other, seemingly unsure, but shrugged before handing Naruto the keys.

"Here are the keys then, sir. We will wait in the guard's room and give you your privacy."

The three guards then left. Naruto overheard one of them mumbling about needing a drink and the other about how he was excited about getting a damn break for a moment. He heard them mention the Uchiha as their voices disappeared down the hall, but he was unsure of what they were saying in regards to it.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you are here, Naruto." Came Sasuke's low voice as Naruto approached the cell.

"I didn't throw you into a wall, and make you swear to something for nothing." Naruto retorted in a hushed annoyance. Sasuke grunted.

"What are you planning, you idiot?"

Naruto began unlocking the cell door, realizing that Sasuke's eyes were covered again.

"One of the stipulations of me meeting with you is that I have to give you that nasty liquid again." Naruto warned, as he stepped into the unlocked cell. Sasuke was sitting on the bed, hunched over as if he didn't give a damn about anything.

"Hand it over then." Sasuke demanded. "At least I can take this damn blindfold off for a while." Naruto was pretty sure that he heard Sasuke take a deep breath and hold it as he snatched the vial from Naruto, popping the top plug off before gulping it in one swig. He set the empty vial down on the bed beside him before reaching up to take the blindfold off, revealing onyx eyes underneath the fabric.

"Well, I will get straight to the point." Naruto began, crossing his arms as he faced Sasuke who remained seated on the bed. He positioned himself to lean back onto the stone wall behind him. "Sakura and I are breaking you out."

"Don't play stupid jokes on me, you dumbass." Sasuke snorted, not buying any of Naruto's words one bit. Naruto frowned, glaring at the Uchiha.

"I'm not."

"What makes you think that I would believe you _and_ Sakura are breaking me out of jail?" Sasuke scoffed.

"Why are you so skeptical about Sakura?" Naruto retorted with a frown and a questioning eyebrow. There was a glint of mischievousness in his cerulean eyes that instantly made Sasuke feel like punching him in the face for. It was almost as if Naruto was insinuating that he knew some secret.

"She has nothing to do with this, and she shouldn't have anything to do with _your_ idiotic ideas."

"Idiotic ideas or not," Naruto answered. "It doesn't change the fact that she _did_ get pulled into this mess, actually no thanks to _you_ in the first place, so the least you can do is play nice. She wanted to come." That part might have been a little bit of white lie, since it was Naruto who had asked her to come, but Naruto knew that only an absolute fool could not see the obvious unspoken relationship between them.

Sasuke huffed.

"Fine. You and Sakura - breaking me out of jail. So, if this is possible, what's your big idea?" Sasuke questioned, his mood a little sour. This was just great. The idea of Sakura coming with them was not at all what he expected, and he was finding himself more flustered about it than he was willing to admit.

"Well before I go into that, Sasuke," Naruto began, his demeanor changing back into seriousness, "I need to know that you have my back. That you have Sakura's back. It will just be the three of us."

"I think you know that at this point - what would I gain from betraying you?" Sasuke pointed out.

"Well first things first, maybe you should directly answer a question, instead of diverting."

"I would have your back, Naruto - as well as Sakura's, though I know that I am the last person she probably trusts."

"She doesn't know you like I do… but I think that she sees that there is a good person underneath all of that... Uchiha." Naruto remarked, gesturing to Sasuke, "Otherwise…"

"Your plan, Naruto." Sasuke interrupted, finding himself wanting to discuss something other than a certain pink haired woman.

"Two days. Well, I guess more like tomorrow night," Naruto continued, not pressing Sasuke's persistence in them avoiding talk about Sakura. "The full moon. We will use to the light of the moon. Sakura and I will bring a pack for you with travel supplies. Our best bet is the drug the guards and slip out before anyone notices."

"It will be obvious who is to blame when you and Sakura are clearly gone with me." Sasuke pointed out. "That's seriously like the most predictable play in the book."

"That's a blame and a price on my head I am willing to pay for, Sasuke. So long as you keep to your word. You know that I keep mine. This isn't going to be a walk in the park. We are going to be hunted by Madara I am sure since he will want to kill you, we will be refugees from the Senju because no doubt they will consider me to have committed a capital crime for betrayal. Sakura belongs to neither, but I'm sure that she would be considered a criminal just as well." Naruto shared.

"So, you have put some thought into this."

"Of course I have. Which brings me to part two. Once we escape, we are going to have to make our way North until we are out of the Senju territory."

Sasuke's eyes widened a little in surprise as he began to realize Naruto's plan.

"The free clans? Most of them are known to the East…"

"There are still many free clans that have been untouched by the war of hatred between the Senju and Uchiha, Sasuke. This is where you are going to have to trust me. What do you think I have been doing all these years? Obviously, I haven't spent them all with the Senju."

"So you know someone." Sasuke concluded. Naruto nodded.

"One of the few people I trust without restraint. He trained me for a long time, mind you. Hence why you haven't been able to kill me." Naruto taunted with a egotistical smirk. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde's words. "We will need to see him first. Sasuke if we have any chance of righting the wrongs that have been done, of changing the future, then we are going to have to go to the free clans. This is a war that we are going to have to wage ourselves."

"What makes you believe that they would follow someone like me into battle?" Sasuke scoffed. Naruto's plans almost sounded like a fantasy.

"You're going to have to find a way to make them believe you, Sasuke." Naruto answered seriously. "I don't know the answer for that. You have to find that answer yourself. After all, if Sakura and I can believe in you…"

"You are willing to die for this?" Sasuke asked, his voice low and quiet. He was having a little difficulty wrapping the idea of all of this around his head.

"I'm willing to die trying the bring peace." Naruto affirmed. "Either way, death comes to us. I'd rather die trying, you know? Are you willing to do the same?"

* * *

Days had passed since the invasion of the Hyuuga.

How had Madara failed? How had he not taken the necessary precautions that he needed to prevent everything from unraveling? How had he not seen this coming?!

The Senju being ahead of almost all of his plans, the strange behavior from Sasuke, and that damned pink haired woman - the one who he would blame began all of this. If Sasuke hadn't been so smitten…

Angrily, Madara threw a clenched fist into the desk of his study, thrusting his chair back as he stood, beginning to pace. What would he do from now? How could he turn something like this back into his favor? Chances are, if the Senju caught Sasuke, he would no doubt be executed. Even with the truths that Itachi revealed, it wouldn't save Sasuke, not from the Senju. No, Madara had made sure of that. The blood on his hands would be enough for the Senju's hatred to end the life of the Uchiha prince. Madara would remain in control of the Uchiha.

It however, didn't change the fact that he had now lost his General. Sasuke had been young, but Madara had raised him himself. Madara had turned him into exactly what he needed him to be, and yet, he didn't foresee the faltering feelings and the hidden emotions that he held… No, that wasn't it. He had been blinded because he had been to confident in himself, in the way that he had raised the orphaned prince. He didn't think that a simple woman could instill such doubt in what he thought was full control.

Even if Sasuke was out of the way, permanently, that left him in need of someone else he trusted. The Uchiha army had taken a devastating defeat against the Hyuuga and the Senju. Madara did not take pride in the fact that he had retreat. He would have liked to end Sasuke's life himself for his betrayal.

For now, he would have to bide some time. Being hasty at this point would surely make it so that he would have no chance of regaining control of the situation. There were too many unpredictable variables to consider.

* * *

The more time that went by, the more Sakura felt herself stewing in anxiety of the events that were to come. She hadn't seen Naruto yet today, much less even heard what was going on with him, or their plans, but she was sure that he was busy at work. She hated that for the most part, all she could do was wait for him.

In the meantime, she did begin to think about what she should pack for the road ahead. Luckily, she didn't have many personal belongings, but there would probably be so many things that they would need just to survive.

Walking past the courtyard with a herbal book that a nice old lady from a little herb shop had given her, she stopped for a moment to watch some soldiers training in the courtyard, and it was there that she saw the familiar color of orange and yellow that was undoubtedly Naruto, training with the soldiers.

At first she wondered why on Earth he was doing such a thing, but then she realized that it was probably for him to keep up appearances, so as to not raise any odd suspicion. She stood there for a moment, mesmerized at the strength it took to wield such weapons… both Naruto and Sasuke were obviously very skilled - they had been trained for war after all - but doubt began to creep even further into her mind. They could fight, they had the power to defend themselves, and what they felt was important.

She had no experience with weapons. No, even now, she still hadn't been able to fully master what Tsunade had tried to teach her. She had come a considerable way in terms of healing and supporting, but if she were to get into close quarters, she had no defenses. How much of a burden would that put on Naruto? She knew without a doubt that he would do everything he could to defend her. Even though she didn't trust Sasuke, something told her deep down he would do the same, but probably not for the same reasons.

"Hey! Sakura!" She was snapped out of her thoughts when the familiar warm voice of Naruto called to her. Her head snapped up to see him running toward her. "Watcha got there?" He asked curiously, as he sheathed his katana.

"Oh this?" Sakura rhetorically asked, looking down to her book. "It's a herb book. The nice lady at the herb shop gave it to me. She said it seemed like something I could use."

"Huh. Well, maybe so! You are good at that sort of stuff after all!" He replied cheerily. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at his compliment, given the fact that she had just spent the majority of the last few minutes telling herself how feeble she felt in comparison to Naruto and Sasuke's raw strength.

"Yeah, I guess so!" Sakura replied, trying to match her friend's cheeriness.

"Okay, well I gotta get back to training. But, we will talk soon!" He promised before whispering in a low voice something about Sasuke before giving Sakura a quick pat on shoulder and turning to resume his training. Sakura watched him for just a moment longer before continuing on her way. Perhaps he sensed her uneasiness, as something in his expression seemed to suggest as such, but he was careful in voicing anything. Perhaps he was just as nervous as she was, but it would be unlike Naruto to act as such.

There may not have been much that he could say in the open, but if Naruto made it a point to mention seeing Sasuke, then she would do it. Maybe it would be best if she talked to him a little before what they knew was about to transpire.

She headed back to her room, placing her book down on the table of the desk that lay in the corner of it. Some of her other things were scattered there, as she absentmindedly made a note to herself that she ought to clean up and probably start prepping her travel bag soon. In the meantime however, her concern was visiting Sasuke. Her being a medic, it made sense that she would visit him to treat his wounds, even if he was just a prisoner, but something in the back of her mind was telling her that she kind of wanted to see him, just to see him. With everything that had happened, she couldn't imagine that he was in a great state.

Would seeing him ease some of her anxieties? Maybe. Or make them worse… she didn't know. But maybe at least she could hear some of his words herself directly.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves, before deciding to make her way towards the Hyuuga prison.

When Sakura got there, she found that two guards were on duty, different ones from the last time she had come, and immediately, her mind began to race with different excuses. They weren't going to just let her pass without a reason, and notably, it would be rather suspicious. The first thing that came to mind was that she was there to tend to the prisoner's health. She had so before. It was the most believable thing given her position.

"I'm here to attend to the prisoner's wounds." She stated, trying to sound confident as she approached the two guards. They looked at her, up and down, as if assessing her before talking.

"First that General, and now the medic…" One began.

"Well, I-" Sakura's brain immediately began scrambling for another answer, for another reason. If he mention the General, then that meant that Naruto had most likely found a way to come visit Sasuke earlier, and maybe that's why he had suggested that she go as well in the courtyard.

"Well he was given the ocular potion, so I guess if he was to have visitors, it makes sense to do it while it's still in effect." The other one shrugged, making a ready excuse for the pinkette. A small exhale of relief left her.

"I guess. Though I don't see why that criminal needs treatment if you ask me," the other guard remarked grumpily. Sakura frowned.

"Look, I'm just here to do my job, and follow the rules that were set by your people. All of your prisoners get medical treatment, and he is a prisoner just the same." She retorted before realizing the words that came out of her mouth. The guards gave her a surprised look in response to her outburst.

"S-sorry, we meant no disrespect to your job, and most certainly no disrespect to a guest of Lord Hiashi's…" One of them mumbled. "Do you want us to accompany you?"

"Considering that he had already taken the ocular potion, no. I am fairly capable of taking care of myself. Could one of you two please unlock the cell door for me?" Sakura asked as politely as she could, even though she was feeling rather agitated.

"Yes ma'am, right this way." Sakura nodded as the guards led her to Sasuke's cell, no words being exchanged as the noisy keys rattled in the lock, and the squeak of the cell door sounded as the door was opened a crack for the pinkette.

"Let us know if you need anything…" One of the guards mumbled, as if unsure of whether to insinuate that Sakura would end up being a damsel in distress or not.

"Thanks." Sakura replied, watching as the guards moved to leave, mumbling something amongst themselves as they did. She caught a few words such a 'scary' and 'strong' and 'i heard she' but she was unable to make out in full whatever it was that they were conversing about. Ultimately, it seemed that they had heard rumors about her though, and perhaps it had just worked out in her favor.

"You and Naruto in one day," Sasuke voiced from the corner of his bed. He wasn't wearing his blindfold, Sakura noted as she shut the prison door behind them, letting it close with an audible lock. "Why are you here?"

Sasuke was sitting casually on the bed, his back against the stone wall, one knee up with an elbow resting on it and the other leg rested. Sakura's eyes met the dark onyx of his, and she felt a little vulnerable under their piercing gaze.

"How… are your wounds doing?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling a little as she did.

"You came here to ask me about some scratches?" Sasuke ridiculed, as if it was the silliest thing he ever heard.

"Well even prisoners still get healthcare here." Sakura snapped back.

"I'm fine." Sasuke grunted in response.

An awkward silence fell between them when Sakura finally looked away from his eyes, trying to hide how uncomfortable she felt.

"Why are you leaving?" Sasuke asked in a low voice, surprising Sakura that he was the first the break the silence. Had his curiosity gotten the better of him? Though the wording was strange, she knew that what he was asking was in reference to her coming along with him and Naruto, or at least, that is what she deduced by the fact that Naruto had come earlier and talked with him.

"I want to help people that are in need." Sakura answered back cryptically, so as it make it seem that they were just having a conversation, if there were any listening ears. "Last I checked, you are the last person whom I need permission from to do so." She added, though that was probably a little much.

"It wouldn't matter." Sasuke answered, and while to anyone else it would seem like a cold response, Sakura had conversed enough with Sasuke to know what the meaning was hidden beneath the words.

He was saying that he knows she would do whatever she wanted.

For now she decided she would at least take that as some sort of small compliment.

"Do your eyes burn?" Sakura questioned, once again diverting away from that topic. She caught a quick look of surprise on Sasuke's features before he controlled his expression.

"What do you know about it?"

"I read about the ingredients. The feeling of your eyes burning is a common side effect. I noticed that it seemed to be bothering you when we…" she paused for a moment, as if contemplating how to finish her sentence. " paid our respects."

"They burn, but I can see fine." Sasuke divulged.

"I know you think I'm a burden, but I am here to help you." Sakura finally said, mustering up her courage, as she took steps towards him. Sasuke watched her intently as the spaced closed between them. "I don't know what will lie ahead, but I will do my best to make sure your health is taken care of…" She was close enough to touch Sasuke, when his hand shot out, firmly, but gently grabbing her wrist as if to stop her, catching her by surprise. His grip was strong, but it didn't hurt. He was no longer looking at her, his face covered by his other hand as if he was clutching at his eyes in pain. He was sitting hunched over on the bed, his elbow on his knee.

"Sakura, I said I was _fine_." He repeated, his voice low, as if he was almost trying to sound threatening, but Sakura noted the tone of panic that was underneath it that was uncharacteristic of him. He released his hold on her wrist, leaving nothing but the sound of their breathing between them. Sakura hadn't realized that her heart rate had spiked when his hand had shot out to stop her from closing any more distance between them, but despite Sasuke's sudden defensiveness, she didn't find herself feeling threatened… only frustrated at his lack of cooperation.

"Okay." Sakura breathed, pulling away from the Uchiha, unsure of where to take their conversation next.

"Tomorrow, these scratches won't be bothersome anyway." Sasuke stated, once again meeting her gaze as he seemingly regained his composure as Sakura created a little distance between them. Sasuke never said anything unless it was important, so she assumed that maybe that's when Naruto was planning to break Sasuke out, and it was probably why Naruto wanted to meet with her that evening. It left them with hardly any time...

"I will have to trust your judgement then…" Sakura replied softly. She turned to as if ready to leave, as if there was nothing else to say between them. She stopped though, slightly turning to him though she did not let the viridian of her eyes meet his.

"Sasuke, I meant what I said," She reiterated. "When you asked me that question days ago, and I answered. It... hasn't changed."

She called for the guards to come unlock the cell, and one of them did so promptly, as she exited the room, the cell door once again closing loudly behind them. She didn't dare look back at Sasuke with her back turned to him, and a witness beside her, but she contemplated on the last words that she spoke to him.

For some reason, she just felt that he needed to know that she had meant those words that she had told him.

* * *

Sasuke had been harsher than he had intended, but she had been too close.

Sakura scared him in more ways than one. Not just because he was undeniable attracted to her even though he was doing everything he can to deny it, to put up walls between them, but because she threatened to tear those walls down. Her mere presence was a threat, and he fought desperately to keep those walls up.

She also scared him because he doesn't know how to respond to her persistence. He doesn't know how to respond to someone who was willing to continue forward with him, despite who he was, who he _is_. He doesn't know how to accept the offer of her _forgiveness_. She had uttered it so easily, that she would forgive him because she saw a good person in him, even though he had done nothing to prove such a change.

Sasuke grit his teeth in irritation. This was why he wasn't okay with Sakura coming. No, he was _scared_ of Sakura coming - because she represented change, and change was something that Sasuke hadn't had in a very long time.

Sakura was hope, and hope terrified him.

* * *

Phew! It took me a looooooong freaking time to write this chapter, and it still wasn't my favorite, but necessary as we move into part 2 of the story! I can't believe that I haven't updated this since August! So for those of you that are still with me, thanks so much! I really need to see this story finished, despite all the picking apart I've done with it. It's not perfect, and won't be, but I hope it's been able to take you into another world when you read it.

Anyway, I have started work on the next chapter which will be the prison break of course, so things should be interesting! I know that the development between Sasuke and Sakura have been slow, but please bare with me! They are making progress, and they will make much more progress now that part 2 is starting. In this story, I've decided to make Sasuke more the initiator, and while I think I tend to think that Sakura has always been more the initiator in their canon relationship, I wanted to give this a little bit of a twist between their dynamics. So, I hope it won't end up putting them too out of character.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you will look forward to the next chapter!


	12. The Chance to Atone

Onto the next chapter! I started work on this chapter as soon as I uploaded the last one to keep the writing mood going! So hopefully this one will get uploaded here shortly as well!

I would just like to remind you guys that I don't have a beta (mostly because I don't know anyone, lol) but that is something that I would possibly be interested in, in the future, so send me your resumes? Just kidding. Dont. But if you are interested, feel free to drop me a PM or whatever.

To Guest Reviewer Star: Why don't you have an FF account? It would make it so much easier to message you! Lol. Thank you so so much for your sweet review! As far as writing goes, all you have to do is take the first step and write! Write whatever you feel comfortable with! It helps of course to read others work, and books to help grow your own vocabulary! You could definitely do it though! It's okay to worry a little about possible disappointment and feel disappointed at times, but at the end of the day, you just gotta do you!

So, we are finally into part 2 of the story, yay! This will probably end in the ballpark of 20 ish chapters im thinking. But that will kind of vary depending on what I add/delete to the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related.

* * *

 **Chapter XII** : The Chance to Atone

* * *

 _rules are restraints_

 _traditions made to break_

 _take fate unto yourself_

 _hope your guiding light_

* * *

Waiting all day had made Naruto feel antsy to say the least. Patience was something he had very little of, and it took every ounce of restraint he had to continue his day as normal despite the fact that he was burning with anxiety… and maybe a little excitement on the inside though admitting that only made him wonder if there was something severely wrong with him. He should be anything _but_ excited, but maybe it was the overly optimistic attitude and personality that he had. Doing this gave him hope. It gave the future hope.

He had been so busy that he missed having missed dinner with Hiashi, Hinata and Sakura, but he would ask forgiveness later - hell, he would be asking for forgiveness for a long time… probably - if he didn't die.

The fact that it was now dark, and the near full moon had settled into the sky immediately made Naruto realize that there was less than a day until he needed to enact his plan, and upon realizing that, slight panic began to settle in. He still had to meet with Hinata, he still had to finalize plans with Sakura, and well… he probably wasn't going to have a chance to meet with Hiashi again, but he would try.

Naruto had managed to grab a hot plate of leftovers of dinner from the kitchen and was sitting in the Hyuuga mansion's courtyard, eating his food while contemplating his next moves. The more he thought about the fact that he had to talk to Hinata made beads of sweat form on his forehead and his hands clammy. Unconsciously, his hand slipped into his pocket as he began to finger box that rest in the pocket of fabric. Why would Hiashi have given him the ring - and he knew it was a ring since his curiosity always got the better of him - if he told him that if he was mostly likely going to die, it was better to leave Hinata hanging, rather than making her wait and hope for something that was ill-fated, or was it his way of saying that this better be enough of a motivator to stay alive?

Like he needed that for motivation! Suicidal mission or not, Naruto had zero plans of dying any time soon. No, he would defy all odds for that. He would survive, he would make it work, somehow. Was it selfish though? Most definitely - but when he thought about leaving Hinata, about leaving her without the truth, it made his stomach twist into unbearable knots, and then it made him angry. Selfish or not, how could he do that to her? Hinata had always been a kind, gentle, and understanding soul since he had met her. He never underestimated her gentleness as lack of determination however. Her loyalty was fierce, and her resolve as big as his. If circumstances were different, he would have wished that they didn't have to be apart.

Which is why he had to decide on what to do. His heart thundering in his chest after all these thoughts, he gave the box a squeeze. There wasn't really a decision to make after all. He already knew his answer.

He was about to finish his last bites of food when it seemed that fate had been brought ot him instead.

"Naruto." Came the soft feminine voice of the woman who had his heart. He felt his face immediately flush at being caught off guard by the very person that he was planning to go find.

"Hey Hinata." He greeted, turning to grin at her, even though he was inwardly panicking.

"We missed you at dinner." She began, settling herself next to Naruto close enough that their shoulders were touching.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I ended up getting pretty busy today…" Naruto answered, rubbing the back of his head and ruffling his blonde hair. "I was actually about to go find you. I wanted to see you."

"I… I wanted to see you too. I have this feeling, that we need to talk." Hinata confessed softly, her pale lavender eyes looking to the moon. Naruto noted that the moonlight reflected in them in a way that he found to be absolutely mesmerizing. It accentuated her beauty.

"Yeah, we do." Naruto conceded, leaning back on his palms as he tried to relax in Hinata's presence.

"You're going to leave soon, aren't you?"

Her words caught Naruto's attention, at first catching off guard, but then his face softened into a small smile as he gave a little chuckle.

"Every time I have, you've always known." He remarked, leaning into her a little. He watched as a light dusty rose graced her cheeks.

"I have known you a long time." Hinata answered, giving him a small smile of her own. "The signs, they're subtle, but I know them."

Naruto wasn't sure why, but part of him couldn't help but feel immediate guilt. Hinata had always known, always been so patient, always waited for him, and listened to him.

"I'm sorry." Naruto finally managed to blurt out, though he knew that it was a pathetic excuse, a pathetic thing to say. He sat back up, his back straightening as he slid his hand into his pocket that contained the little box and a promise within.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to steele his nerves, he pulled the box from his pocket.

* * *

Sakura had spent her evening strolling around the Hyuuga mansion, and the prison district. They were not terribly far from each other, but part of her felt that she should be a little more familiar with the layout and surrounding land. Naruto probably knew this place like the back of his hand, but she didn't. Between her, Naruto, and Sasuke, there was no way that they would be able to get Sasuke acquainted with the surrounding area, and she refused to be a burden as well. Things would be much easier on Naruto if only one of them were clueless of the directions to take.

The Hyuuga lived deep in the forest, surrounded by lush green trees, and uneven terrain. Trekking through the forest was probably going to be a challenge in itself since they were going to have to avoid any of the main roads at all costs, and even while doing so, keep a low profile in the forest. There would be no doubt that the Hyuuga and Senju would have scouts covering as much of the forest as possible for a period after their escape, and depending on how quickly they were found out, it would determine how much of a head start they would get, which could result in their success or failure.

Sakura was deep in thought about different strategies when a masculine voice calling her name startled her, making her jump and almost enter flight mode when she realized that it was Naruto. He approached her, seemingly casual as ever, his hands shoved into his pockets though she could tell that that he had a very delighted mood about him.

She wasn't sure if she should ask him about it or not, but before she even opened her mouth, Naruto continued talking.

"It's late, what are you doing out here anyway?" He questioned as if genuinely curious.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Sakura answered, giving her blonde friend a grin.

"Well I went to go look for you since I told you we would talk, but you weren't in your room, so I guessed you were probably out and about. Chances are you are probably having just as hard of a time settling down as I am." He conceded.

"Hm, that may be true." Sakura paused before adding. "And I don't even know where to begin with the questions that I have for you."

"Well, I don't know where to begin with answers." Naruto replied, his demeanor changing into a more serious one, though he still seemed lighthearted.

"Tomorrow - the full moon I mean. It makes sense." Sakura began, remembering that Sasuke had made it seem as if there was some significance to tomorrow.

"Oh! Ah, yeah. Tomorrow. Let me guess, Sasuke? Did you go visit him after all?"

"Well you suggested it, so yeah. Though I can't say it gave me much." Sakura frowned.

"Damn, that bastard is always such a stiff." Naruto muttered.

"Well, it's not like we could talk openly about it." Sakura shrugged, unsure of what Naruto was expecting, and remembering how Sasuke had panicked when she had gotten close to him which made her skin feel tingly. She shuddered at the feeling and how foreign it was.

"The guards give you a hard time?" Naruto questioned, as if it were ridiculous that they would.

"Not too much, I suppose. Not as hard of a time as Sasuke did, anyway."

"Wait so was he rude to you? Because if he was that b -"

"Well… I mean yes and no, not really? After all, I don't know if like you do, and he doesn't know me like he knows you. Can we really expect him… to be civil? With everything that has happened, I mean." Sakura quickly interjected, knowing that she was coming to the Uchiha's defense. While she loved the brotherly protection Naruto had over her, she wasn't going to let something that really wasn't that big of a deal cause any contention, especially not now.

Naruto sighed. "Well, I guess you have a _fair_ point, but still, he's just… I guess he's just always been that damn way, and it just riles me up."

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at Naruto's dramatics.

"Anyway, tomorrow night. How are we doing this anyway? I've been looking at the layout of all the buildings, roads, and well, I mean this place is completely encased in the forest. It's a wonder how the Uchiha even found their way here. There's not many main roads that lead here."

"Well that's sort of the problem too. While fewer roads might be less conspicuous, it makes it easier to follow one that leads right to this place. It is like a double edged sword…"

"Obviously we aren't going to be able to take the main roads to escape so…"

"Sakura," Naruto interrupted, realizing that he pinkette was beginning to almost panic as she continued through her explanations. "That's why you have me. I know this place like the back of my hand, so it will be fine. The forest terrain will be a little tough since the forest floor is far from consistent or even predictable, but we will have the light of the full moon to help guide us."

"I know it's just that… I already know that it's going to be rough with one of us not knowing anything about the lay of the land, but If I don't either then it's going to make it that much harder on you…"

A chuckle escaped Naruto which made Sakura immediately glare at the blonde.

"That's what you are worried about? Seriously?" He asked, seemingly amused while making Sakura pout.

"So what if it is? Seriously, you're laughing about this?"

"A little because seriously, we will be fine. You two will just have to follow me and trust me. All I need, is for you two to listen to me when it all things are considered. It's going to take us cooperating, and well, we don't exactly have a ton of experience with that between the three of us."

"Yeah I know but…"

"But what?" Naruto asked, his mood turning serious once again. "Look, I know that this… would give anyone some serious anxiety. I know you said yes, Sakura but if that isn't really the way you feel, then you should say so."

"It's not that, it's just… I don't know. I feel it's the right thing, but I guess I haven't been wanting to admit that I am scared. Not only because we have no idea what is going to happen, but because…"

"Of Sasuke?" Naruto finished. Sakura hesitantly gave a small nod, even though it made her guilty to admit it.

"Well despite what you think, and I could argue for his character all day long from my perspective, Sakura, but I would never allow him to do anything out of line. Not to you, not to anyone. He gave me his word, and I gave him mine, and I keep my word."

"I know you do." Sakura sighed.

"It's a lot to ask, but you… should get to know him on your own accord, Sakura. More than you already do. I mean, that's entirely up to you, but we are probably going to be stuck together for a while."

"So, then how do we break Sasuke out of prison?" Sakura asked, as the two of them found a field to sit in behind the walls of the Hyuuga Mansion. They could see the faint glow of light from one of the guard outposts of the traveling road behind them, but it the night was quiet and still.

"Well, as much as it's going to sound stupid, and trust me, Sasuke already pretty much told me it was, sometimes the most predictable play is the best one because it gets overlooked under the assumption that no one would be stupid enough to do it."

Oh geez. Those weren't really the most comforting affirmations coming from Naruto, but Sakura supposed that it did make some sort of sense. Just how much had Sasuke and Naruto talked in detail about this? Sasuke didn't divulge much to her, but it was obvious that he knew when they were leaving, and that she was coming with the two of them.

"Hm… okay. Let's hear you out then."

Naruto nodded. "Well, I mean we obviously don't want to cause any damage, at least not on our end. I can't promise what Hiashi will do since he will have to give a show. As far as I can tell from observing the prison, and seeing what I could of the guard schedule, Sasuke isn't being too heavily guarded. The Hyuuga are fairly confident that the Uchiha aren't going to come back for their general, given the current circumstances… and no matter how good of a fighter Sasuke is, even he would be in trouble trying to get out of here on his own."

"Okay, so no crazy guard detail, got it. So let me guess, your play is to drug them?" Sakura asked, now knowing why Naruto had seemed intrigued in her study of herbs.

"Yes. It is going to be the quietest and most humane way to take down the prison guards. Though, we most likely won't have too much time from when they pass out to when the next guard rotation comes in and realizes that the guards are down, and that Sasuke is missing."

"How are we going to get the guards drugged? A drink would be the easiest, but getting them to drink it would be an entirely different matter."

"There are lots of different flavorless and odorless varieties out there. This is also where I will really need your help. Not only are you the best person suited to make the drug we need," Naruto began. "But you are going to have to be the one to infiltrate the prison."

Sakura's chest dropped at the realization that Naruto was going to need her to play a really big part in just helping them get the Uchiha free.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, feeling unsure of Naruto's plan.

"To get you in, the easiest excuse is going to be that Sasuke has been ordered to be continuously drugged with that nasty stuff that inhibits the ability of those eyes… a believable scenario, I think."

"Well yeah, but there is one flaw to that," Sakura argued, "Wouldn't it be best if one, Sasuke could use the full extent of his abilities since we are trying to escape? Have Sasuke drugged while we are trying to escape could be a problem… especially if it affects his vision." Sakura pointed out thoughtfully as she brought a hand to her chin in contemplation. "Also, why would we need to start drugging him so late? That might seem odd to the guards."

"Well how long do the effects of the potion last?" Naruto asked, as he mulled over her concern.

"According to what I have found out about its effects, it could last anywhere between four to six hours." Sakura answered, though she knew that was dependent on each individual. She had no idea how long the effects lasted for Sasuke, and the thought of his eyes and that the side effect of the potion caused them to burn made her feel a little pity for him.

"Then how about this… if he has to be continuously drugged with it, we give it to him six hours before… we are going to have to give it to him the first time around, but when we give him the second dose, well, more like when you go to give him the second dose, he won't need to drink it. That would solve that problem wouldn't it?" Naruto concluded. Sakura nodded.

"That's actually not a bad idea! That way it won't seem odd to give him a dose later that night." Sakura agreed. "But that still leaves us the problem of drugging the guards."

"Well since it's late at night, just tell them that since you were coming down so late, you brought a drink for them with you to thank them for their hard work." Naruto shrugged, as if it was the easiest answer.

"Doesn't that seem… to easy?" Sakura pressed, feeling as if things shouldn't be that easy.

"But that's just it, Sakura. No one expects the 'easiest' methods, so they don't pay any attention to it. It's catching them off guard in a sense… at least, that is really what I'm banking on here."

"Well, I mean that does make sense, but if they don't drink it, then what? That could put us into a real bind."

Naruto sighed. "Unfortunately that is one thing that I don't have an answer for. I wish I did, but you will most likely have to figure out something on the fly to get them to drink it."

Sakura frowned, now feeling uncertainty once again fill her chest like a heavy weight. "Okay, I will do my best to make something work."

"I believe in you." Naruto added, trying to ease her concern. "After all, you are pretty smart."

"Oh, well thanks for that," Sakura grunted, appreciating the fact Naruto was trying to lighten the mood a little. "So once we are out, then what? Where will we be meeting? And in what direction are we going to take off?"

"I will be around the prison, so I will know once the two of you are out. The next part is the tricky part. The Hyuuga have pretty good trackers, and know the forest pathways and terrain well. As much as I know Hiashi is on our side, he won't be able to act like he is. He knows me well, and he knows that the first place that I will go is to the free clans in the North, but he will not interfere or hunt after us after we have left the Hyuuga and Senju territories. So… mostly likely he will have the northern pathways and the northern areas of forests heavily searched. We are probably going to have to loop around and evade any other patrols and searches to throw them off."

"That could put us in the forest for a couple days, Naruto. How are we going to get the supplies for that, especially since we won't really be able to set up camps and stuff."

"I told you, I know the terrain well. You will just have to trust me. The prison is on the East side right, so I think we are going to have to start at the East side, backtrack South, and then loop back up North. Whether we loop back up through the East or the West side, we will probably have to decide as we go. But, going South is probably going to be the least guarded and patrolled route. To them, it would make no sense for us to flee back into Senju territory."

"Yeah, but what if Hiashi knows that would be your ploy?" Sakura challenged.

"He most likely does, but that doesn't mean that the other generals, or Hashirama even, do. Hiashi isn't going to go out of his way to make things harder for us than he absolutely has to. That much I can say with confidence. The problem is that if we try to head North first, they will be able to easily track us, and on horseback, there is no way that we will outrun them. Essentially we are going to have to wait till they are scattered and give up in a sense."

"I guess you are probably right." Sakura conceded.

"As far as surviving the forest, we will make do. Just pack your travel things. I will have a bag ready for Sasuke." Naruto continued. "We will be fine."

"Yeah. I know we'll make it work, somehow."

"Anyway, we better get back to our rooms. It's late, and the Senju council arrives tomorrow. They didn't waste any time in setting up a meeting to begin their debate on what to do with Sasuke."

"Are you going to have to attend the meetings?" Sakura asked, a little shocked at the news.

"No. Hashirama and Hiashi refuse to let me participate because I am too much of a liability. They think I will be biased, which isn't wrong… but I am sure it is to save face as well." Naruto replied, a little bitterness in his tone.

"Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing. After all, it might make things more difficult tomorrow if you had to."

"I do agree with you on that."

Sakura and Naruto stood up from the place they were sitting to talk, ready to head back to the Hyuuga Mansion, walking in companionable silence as they did, though it was partially because Sakura was in deep thought about the events that were to happen tomorrow, and probably so was Naruto.

"Hey," Sakura began, her voice hushed. "I don't want to pry too much, but I know that you care deeply for Hinata… have you…. have you talked to her?"

At first, it seemed that Sakura's question caught Naruto off guard, as if he was surprised at her curiosity about his relationship with the Hyuuga heiress, but then Sakura could feel a happiness radiate from Naruto that she thought was a little strange considering their current and future situation.

"Oh that?" He asked, a smile coming to his face as he put his arms up behind his head nonchalantly as they walked, "We are good. Hinata knows how I feel about her."

Naruto didn't reveal too much about whatever was going on between them, but despite her curiosity, Sakura decided not to pry into the subject any further. Judging by the way Naruto lit up when she had brought Hinata up, she believed what he said.

They walked the rest of the way quietly, Naruto once again saying that everything would be fine with a confident grin when they parted way to go to their separate rooms.

Sakura decided that she would just have to believe him. She already did, but it would have to be enough to quell the anxiety and heavy fear in her chest for the time being.

* * *

"We will now convene the council to discuss the fate of General Sasuke Uchiha." Hashirama called as the council of Senju elders sat in a meeting room. "We would like to thank Hiashi Hyuuga for hosting us."

A round of thanks sounded from the men that were gathered.

"Before we start with open discussion," Hashirama continued. "Let us first each acknowledge the crimes committed. Sasuke Uchiha is of the clan of our enemy. He has murdered countless lives of the Senju. He served under Madara Uchiha, and orchestrated many attacks against the Senju, and into the territories of the free clans. It would take too long to go into detail of every single thing he has done, but as of now, he is our prisoner of war. How should we respond to this situation?"

It was with this, that open discussion began.

"I don't think that there should have to be much thought for it! He should be given the capital punishment and put to death!" One elder proclaimed, anger evident in his voice.

"He should be beheaded! Let us send his head back to the Uchiha on a platter!"

"He should have his eyes gouged! Those terrible, cursed eyes!"

"He should be tortured every day for the rest of his life! Death would be too merciful of a punishment!" Another sounded.

Arguments and suggestions erupted in the room as all the pent up anger held towards the Uchiha fueled the debates on how to deal with Sasuke.

Hiashi remained quiet as he listened to the elders bicker. This was why he didn't want to be on the council in the first place.

* * *

Sakura hadn't been able to sleep last night, knowing what was going to transpire the next day, so instead she managed to get her travel bag packed. The nights were quickly getting cooler, as the seasons were changing towards Winter. Going North meant that where they were headed, it was going to be even colder.

It was time to get what she needed done started today in order to make their plans for their escape go as smoothly as they could on her end.

Once again she went to visit the lady at the herb shop in whom she had become quite fond of. The lady was elderly, but sweet, and knowledgeable. She was always so delighted whenever Sakura went in to visit, or just to chat about herbs and different healing alternatives. Even in the short times that Sakura had stayed with the Hyuuga, she had learned so much.

"In need of some interesting ingredients today." Chiyo remarked, as Sakura began to gather the different items she would need in order to create the drugs she needed for guards.

"Yeah, I am wanting to experiment with a bunch of different herbs." Sakura answered, slightly paranoid about any possible suspicion.

"These aren't very 'experimental' type herbs." Chiyo chuckled, as if she knew that Sakura was up to something. "But I suppose they are good to study with." with she added.

"Mmmm." Sakura nodded in agreement.

"That book," Chiyo continued. "Keep it. Consider it a parting gift." As she pointed to a book she had settled onto the counter while Sakura's back was turned as she shuffled through different ingredients. Sakura turned to see what it was that Chiyo was talking about. She came to the counter to give the book a closer look.

"Wild herbs… and their historical uses?" She blinked, while reading a bit of the summary.

"Well, I can't imagine that herb shop will always be available to you." Chiyo scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked. "This is a rare book! And a first edition at that!" she exclaimed. "I once had a shortened and revised edition of this…"

"I am sure. Like I said," Chiyo once again offered. "Consider it a parting gift." Sakura's eyes widened.

"What… makes you think I am leaving?" She asked, trying to hide her panic at being found out.

"A hunch… and I don't think I am wrong. I like you miss Sakura. Whatever it is you are going to do, I will not tell anyone." Chiyo softly assured. "You are most definitely someone special… and you are a smart girl. I would want you to reach your full potential."

"I-I… well, thank you, Chiyo."

The old lady smiled. "Well, shall we get your things bagged up and send you on your way?" She offered cheerfully. Sakura nodded.

"Yeah. I should probably get a move on." Sakura agreed.

Giving her goodbyes to Chiyo, she left the herb shop feeling determined, and also a little more confident. Maybe things would be okay after all.

Sasuke was feeling irate, thanks to the lack of sleep that he had the night before. Between Naruto visiting, and Sakura visiting, it was enough to rattle him up. Naruto for coming to him with his stupid plan which both irritated him and made him somewhat relieved, but that pink haired woman had only added to his anxiety and panic.

He had come to accept a long time ago that Naruto was never going to hate him, no matter what he did, but for her to still have anything to do with him… no matter how he looked at it, he did not understand it, not in the slightest. He didn't like not having answers to things.

The way that she made him panic when she got too close, and tried to bring the walls down between them… they way that she was a little hesitant as if a little afraid of him, but determined to push past that fear. Where was that confidence he once had before in putting her in her place? No… she had gained his curiosity and even a small amount of respect over time for her determination and the fierceness of her character… to the point that he wasn't sure when he started feeling uncomfortable around her.

He was deep in thought when he heard a voice, a feminine voice addressing the guards outside the prison entrance. Sasuke could feel familiarity in the voice, but wasn't certain to whom exactly it belonged to, though he had a pretty good guess, and immediately he could feel his heart rate increase. Even though he was blindfolded once again, there was no mistaking who it was when the feminine voice thanked the guard for opening the cell door which opened with an loud creak.

"Sasuke?" The voice asked, softly yet there was a nervousness to it.

"Sakura, I presume?" He answered with a huff.

"Yes. I… I mean well there is something we have to do." She began, sounding a bit unconfident - or was it guilt?

"What?" Sasuke asked, his tone a bit impatient.

"You are going to have to drink the Ocular Potion, again. General Naruto's orders for heightened Security since the Senju Council is here." She answered. Sasuke could hear her footsteps approaching him where he sat on the bed. Something he did often considering there was literally nothing else to do in prison.

Was this part of Naruto's plan? It must be, considering the way that Sakura tried to explain it. Even if he didn't know exactly the reason, it would require his cooperation nonetheless, whether he liked it or not, and he definitely did not like that nasty stuff.

"Fine, hand it over." Sasuke replied, putting his right hand out to wait for Sakura to place it in his grasp. It was a moment before he felt the vial in his hand, but once it was he clasped his fingers around it, bring his other hand to the vial top to open it so that he could drink that nasty contents. He could feel Sakura's eyes on him, watching him as he did so, but he could also hear her footsteps come even closer to the side of his bed. He was about to ask her what the hell she was doing when he could feel tugging on his blindfold, and held his tongue. He could feel his heart rate thundering in his ears.

As the blindfold pulled away, so did Sakura, taking a few steps away from him almost as if she didn't want to be too close to him either. Onyx and viridian eyes met, and Sasuke found himself kind of calmed by them.

"I have to give this to you every six hours," she explained, shuffling uncomfortably. "But, at least you won't have to wear this blindfold."

"As if the burning is any better." Sasuke grunted in response.

"Um… about that. I looked into the side effects of it… It won't take it away completely, but I added something to help dull it." Sakura admitted quietly as her eyes darted off. A silence fell between them for a moment as Sasuke closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"Thank you." He finally said, opening his eyes to see the completely caught off guard expression of Sakura with her eyes widened.

"So…" She began slowly. "I will come back in six hours then to give you your next dose, and then another one, at midnight." Sakura informed.

"Hn."

With that, Sakura called for the guard to come let her out of the cell, but not before their eyes met again once more before she turned to leave.

* * *

"How did the meeting go?" Naruto asked, finding Hiashi in his study looking less than pleased.

"Technically you shouldn't be asking me about it, Naruto - Close the door." He instructed, rubbing his temples. He heard Naruto comply almost immediately.

"I know, but…" Naruto began.

"Whatever you are planning, I hope you are planning on doing it soon," Hiashi remarked. "Things are not going well, but they are taking some time to deliberate. No one can come up with an agreeable answer. They are going to meet again later this evening, and the meeting could go for hours."

"Whatever verdict they reach, it won't matter." Naruto answered firmly, causing the Hyuuga to look at him with scrutiny.

"Is that so?" He asked. He could see the determined look on the blonde's face, and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"I didn't think I was going to get a chance to come say goodbye to you, Hiashi, after we talked the other night… but, I wanted to if I could - and I also needed to say thank you." Naruto began.

"You know I won't be able to hold back, don't you?" Hiashi asked, genuinely concerned over the young man he had come to view as someone like a son.

"I know. I don't expect you to, and I am prepared for it. If you are worried about me holding a grudge to you about it… I won't." Naruto answered.

"Well then, I guess I must admit that is a relief." Hiashi confessed.

"Please, take care of Hinata for me," Naruto suddenly asked. "I know… that I really have no right to ask that of you, and that of course you would, but I-"

"I know, Naruto. I am her father after all."

"Right." Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, anyway, Hiashi, thank you."

Hiashi nodded. "Naruto," He called as the blonde began to leave his study. "Be careful."

Naruto turned his head to once again respond to Hiashi.

"I will."

* * *

The day had gone by way faster than Sakura felt she was prepared for. She had managed to get the sleeping drugs ready and infused them into some light beer for the guards.

The second time that she had gone to give Sasuke the vial, she had simply given it to him through the cell door, and not much was said between them, but their eyes met. His were intense, like a bottomless pit. Did he sense her anxiety and fear? Her discomfort around him? He probably did, but even with all of that, the thing that had rattled her the most was the 'thank you' that he had uttered when he had revealed that she had tried to make the discomfort that he would experience less for him. Even if… in the end he might deserve any discomfort he got, she still felt guilt knowing that he would still have to suffer just for their plan to work.

The time was now eleven-forty-five. It was about time for them to start, and Sakura's adrenaline was skyrocketing, along with her anxiety and blood pressure. She was dress in all back, sporting a black long sleeve shirt with a mock neck which tended to be her favorite, and black pants and calf length boots. Black to be stealthy while her favorite red qipao was hidden in her travel bag. She had a travel cloak hidden in there as well.

Quietly, she gathered her bag, taking one last good look at the room that the Hyuuga had graciously given her to stay in. It was clean and organized, now devoid of her belongings and she blew out the candle that was lighting her room. She left a simple 'thank you' for Hiashi not wanting it to give anything away, but hoping that it would convey her feelings to the Hyuuga patriarch that had helped them.

She quietly closed the door to her room, quietly slipping away to meet Naruto close to the prison so that he could hold her travel pack and wait for her and Sasuke to rendezvous with him.

Guards were on the prowl, but Sakura had a pretty good idea of how and where they patrolled, and where to slip through at this point to go unnoticed. Security was a little higher due to the Senju having come to gather their council here, but not enough to make things much more difficult.

Before she knew it, she could see the blonde of Naruto's hair hiding in the darkness of an alley between buildings.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked in a hushed whisper as Sakura put her pack down to pull out the two beers and a vial of the ocular drug.

"No, but I don't think I ever would be," Sakura answered honestly. "But it's far too late to back out now."

"True. I will be here. Once you get Sasuke out, meet here. I have his travel bag here," Naruto explained, pointed to a bag that was settled between his and Sakura's. "I brought a cloak to conceal his prisoner clothes."

"Okay. Are the guards aware that he is to receive another dose at midnight?" Sakura asked. She would have informed them earlier, but a rotation had occured since the last time she had brought Sasuke another dose.

"Yes. I made sure of it." Naruto assured. "Only the other guards won't know. We didn't need rumors spreading like wildfire before it got out of hand. But the next rotation was informed by me."

"Okay." Sakura nodded. "Well then I better go."

"Good luck, Sakura." Naruto wished.

With that, Sakura peeked out the alley, hurrying quickly to get close to the entrance of the prison unseen by other guards before she calmed herself, the ocular vial in her pocket as she held the two drinks in her hand. The guards were standing there, looking bored, but immediately perked up upon the sight of the pinkette.

"Miss Sakura!" They acknowledged. "I'm here to deliver another dose of the ocular drug to the prisoner." Sakura stated.

"Yes, General Naruto instructed as such. To make it safer for the Senju. It is a good move." The guard agreed.

"Yes. He is by far less threatening when he can't use his eyes. You two should relax a little. It will be fine." Sakura tried to reassure them.

"Oh, which also reminds me, these are a gift from Lady Hinata. They're light, so even after one you will still be alert and it won't affect you from doing your duty."1 She lied, holding the two bottles out for the guards who looked back at them, perplexed.

"A gift?" One asked hesitantly. "From the lady?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes. She knows that you guys are working hard, and that it has been especially hard since the Uchiha invaded. She has been wanting to make sure that all of the guards and soldiers are appreciated." Sakura lied, trying to sound as convincing as she could. "She asked me herself to deliver them to you when I came to administer another dose to the prisoner."

The guards looked at each other, but seemed rather pleased at the offering, each taking one.

"Well, please tell Lady Hinata thank you." They both thanked.

"I will." Sakura assured them. "Anyway, I am going to give our prisoner his drug."

"Okay, go right ahead."

With that, Sakura walked past the guards who were busy opening their drinks and talking quietly amongst themselves. She would have to wait for them to pass out before she could grab the keys to unlock the cell, which would probably take five to ten minutes.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called quietly. It was dark, but as she came to face the cell door, she was met with the glow of red eyes coming from the dark corner in which Sasuke sat on his bed. She gasped a little, surprised that he was able to activate them. It meant that either he was able to burn off the potion quicker, or that in an attempt to make them less harsh on his eyes, she had weakened it. For a moment her viridian eyes locked with his crimson ones, mesmerized by their bright glow and the way they drew her in. It had been a long while she had seen them, and part of her felt hesitant. They were beautiful, but she was sure that Sasuke could see her staring at him unabashedly.

"You needed to be more confident." he remarked, referring to her lie. She frowned, thinking that she had seemed pretty confident. "They almost didn't believe you." He didn't have time to explain to her that he could tell by the vibrations that came from the voices of the guards.

"H-how, do you know?" Sakura whispered, genuinely curious, and a little put off by his evaluation of her performance. She was about the press the issue further when they both heard the clank of the two guards slumping against the walls and falling to the ground. Without another word, Sakura immediately bolted off to go get the keys to unlock Sasuke's cell door, leaving Sasuke to watch her as she left. He could hear her fumbling but she returned quickly, deftly handling the keys and turning the lock on his door.

Sasuke had moved to lean against the cell wall close to the door as he waited.

"Your red eyes," Sakura began in a mumble, "They… might be too obvious-"

"Aren't you going to give me that damned potion?" Sasuke snapped, wondering why she was bringing up his eyes. Even if he didn't have a use for them, he still needed to exercise use of them when he could.

"No. What good would that do?" Sakura snapped back, pulling the cell door open, wincing at how loud it was. "It was a pretense."

"So you and Naruto are fine with it?" He pressed in a hushed growl, questioning their suspicions.

"Do we really have time to discuss that _now_?" Sakura whispered back harshly. Sasuke could tell that Sakura's adrenaline was fully kicked in, her breathing faster than normal, and her heart rate higher. He decided not to press the matter further for the time being, letting Sakura lead him out of the prison in a rush.

Sasuke kept his eyes activated, considering he could deactivate them in a moment if needed, but in Sakura's frenzied state, part of him was concerned that she might overcalculate something. This sort of thing was not something that she would be used to, not yet.

He followed Sakura, realizing that she was about to turn a corner when he sensed the footsteps of guards that were coming by a blind area. Without a second thought, he reacted, immediately clasping his right hand over Sakura's mouth, and yanking her to him with his left arm to his body as he yanked the both of them to the darkness against the wall. For a moment she struggled in surprise before she realized the guards were coming past them.

Sakura could immediately feel her face flush at the intimacy of their position as she could feel the hardness of Sasuke's muscled arms, and the stiffness of his chest and torso. She noted that his breathing was quicker, but he was carefully controlling it. He held her firmly against him until the guards passed, letting her go when he felt that the danger had gone. For a moment there, Sakura was speechless, first because of the way Sasuke had her pressed against him ignited something completely foreign in the depths of her being, but also because if he had not done that, they would have been caught. Suddenly, she felt way too hot.

"They're gone," Sasuke pointed out, snapping Sakura from her thoughts.

"Thanks." Was all Sakura managed to reply in a higher voice than usual, her discomfort obvious. She was trembling, but they were almost to Naruto.

When they finally reached the rendezvous, she immediately felt a small amount of relief, though her heart was thundering in her chest.

"It took you guys long enough." Naruto greeted, in a hushed, almost panicked voice.

"Sorry…" Was all Sakura could say in response, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow at her for a moment before he leaned down and tossed Sasuke a black travel cloak.

"Put that on to cover your prisoner clothes." Naruto instructed the Uchiha. Swiftly, Sasuke did as Naruto instructed, easily throwing the cloak over himself and fastening it. Sakura and Naruto then did the same, putting their own cloaks on, as well as their travel bags. Naruto handed Sasuke's to him as well.

"Okay, you guys are going to have to follow me. Stick close. We have to cover as much ground as we can before they realize what has happened." Naruto once again instructed.

The three of them stood at the edge of the alley, looking for a clear opening for them to dart into the East of the forest that lay before them.

As soon as it was clear, Naruto gave the all clear as the three of them immediately began to sprint towards the cover of the forest. The sprint seemed like a marathon, and the brightness of the full moon made it easier to see, and the empty darkness almost more eerie. Before she knew it however, the three of them were in the dark cover of the forest, and Sakura immediately realized what Naruto meant about the terrain being different. In her hurry to keep up, she had found herself with Naruto in front of her, and Sasuke behind her. Trying to keep right on Naruto's heel, she caught her foot, almost letting out a surprised scream as she about tripped to the ground, but suddenly an arm caught her around the waist, keeping her from falling to the forest floor, lifting her back up with a light shove forward.

"Naruto!" Sasuke hissed, irritation evident in his tone even though he said nothing to Sakura, but it was probably because he realized that she was not used to sprinting in this kind of terrain and didn't know how to maneuver her footwork through it.

Embarrassment ripped through Sakura for the second time that evening at the sudden contact between her and Sasuke, and because he had saved her twice.

Naruto stopped, turning to the two of them, giving them a moment to recompose themselves as he was oblivious to what had just transpired.

"We have to keep going." He stated, confused as to why Sasuke called out to him as if he were outrunning them.

"Keep going," Sakura assured. She glanced back at Sasuke, their eyes meeting. His crimson eyes glowed back at her now that they were in the forest, and that was probably why he was able to catch her so quickly when she had tripped.

With that, the three of them pushed deeper into the forest.

* * *

So… what did you guys think of the SasuSaku interactions in this chapter? I'm genuinely curious as to what your thoughts are! I hope that this chapter was believable for you guys!

Thanks for reading and please leave me your thoughts!


	13. The Way Going Forward

Working on this chapter finally! Phew! I want to thank everyone that left a review for the last chapter! So fun for you guys to share your thoughts with me on the story and ask questions! I know my updates haven't been consistent, but I do them as I can! So thank you for your patience!

* * *

 **Chapter XIII** : The Way Going Forward

* * *

 _The beginning of reflection_

 _Our walls begin to crumble_

 _The struggle for change_

 _Paths must push forward_

* * *

Sasuke didn't know how long they had been sprinting, but it seemed like an eternity in this seemingly never ending forest before Naruto finally slowed his pace and halted. Sakura had managed to keep up okay after her near trip up, behaving more eager to keep herself from letting the terrain slow her down again.

It wasn't until Naruto stopped, that both Sasuke and Sakura did the same, finally allowing themselves to get some deep breaths of air into their lungs, the sound of all three and their heavy panting the only noise besides the eerie sounds of the forest. Sasuke was adept enough at tracking and navigation in the wild that he knew that they had taken off in the East direction, but if he wasn't mistaken, he also noticed that Naruto was also changing direction to head South - leaving him to wonder what sort of plan the blonde had conjured up in his mind?

"We have to keep moving and get as much ground between us before the Hyuuga figure it out." Naruto pressed, catching his own breath.

"Naruto, what are you planning by leading us South?" Sasuke demanded, though it came out a little ragged at him catching his own breath as well.

"It's to throw them off our trail for a while." Naruto answered, assuming that Sasuke would understand his thought process.

"You think heading deeper into Senju territory is going to make this easier?" Sasuke scoffed, clearly not too fond of Naruto's idea.

"Sasuke, the Hyuuga have horses and - admittedly - they are good trackers. We need to head North, but if we were to head straight there, we would be easy for them to find and catch." Naruto explained, though it was obvious by the tone of his voice that he was clearly annoyed at being questioned by the Uchiha.

Even at Sasuke's dislike of the idea, he did have to unwillingly admit that Naruto's plan did make sense. He had no right to complain he conceded mentally - not when someone like Naruto and Sakura were risking everything, their lives, their reputations, for the likes of someone like him.

"Naruto, we should keep moving," Sakura suggested breathlessly as if she was worried that the two would continue arguing.

"Right. Sasuke, for now, just don't ask any questions got it? I'm trying to save your ass here." Naruto grunted, albeit a little smug, causing the Uchiha to grind his teeth and resist the idea of punching the blonde in his face. Oh hell no. His pride screamed at him mentally to put Naruto in his place before the blonde could ever purposefully hold this over his head. As difficult as it was however, Sasuke merely gave a grunt of acknowledgement in return, making a mental note to make Naruto pay for his smugness later.

"Hn."

"Oh and by the way, I managed to grab you this," Naruto added, tossing Sasuke a sheathed sword that he immediately recognized as his: Kusanagi. He was silently grateful to have his weapon back, giving Naruto a quick nod of approval.

With that, the three of them once again began swiftly moving through the forest, Sakura and Sasuke on Naruto's heel. They had probably only resumed their attempted escape for a few moments when loud bells and shouts began to fill the air from the distance that sounded from the Hyuuga barracks.

"Shit, they found out a little quicker than I wanted." Naruto cursed loudly immediately stopping as if to assess what to do next. It was still likely that they would have to find somewhere to lie low until the initial scouting endeavor ended and the South had been swept by soldiers in an attempt to look for them.

"Change of plans. We need to make sure to throw them off our tracks - as it is, we are too easy to track. There's a river up ahead." Naruto quickly explained, taking off in the direction. Sasuke glanced at Sakura as their eyes briefly met before they continued to follow Naruto. The small amount of relief they felt after getting Sasuke out of prison was now washed away by a new surge of adrenaline at the prospect that they were still far from freedom.

Naruto was spot on when he said that there was a river ahead, because indeed within a good sprint, the forest trees cleared to reveal the faint glow of the banks of the river and the sound of moving water that filled the night. The river had to sit a couple feet below the banks that they had reached. Sakura could tell by the sound of the current that it wasn't a terribly fast moving river, so swimming in it wouldn't be too risky, but the fact that she hadn't really learned how to swim posed a problem.

"Naruto, I don't know how to swim." Sakura blurted out when the three of them finally came to the stop to the banks in the midst of their hurried attempt to put more distance between them and the Hyuuga.

"Sasuke!" Naruto demanded, looking at him with an expectant look, not wasting a second with moving forward despite Sakura's last minute confession.

"I _know_ , Naruto." Sasuke growled in response, quickly pulling off his travel pack and Kusanagi and tossing it begrudgingly back to Naruto, who caught both with ease. Sakura stood still in her placel, watching them as if she wasn't sure what she should be doing. Did Naruto really intend for them to still jump into the river?

"Sakura, you too." Naruto hastily added, looking at her expectantly.

"But I-"

"You will be fine with Sasuke - he can swim just fine." Naruto hastily cut her off. "The two of you need to jump in and head down the river. I am going to throw off their tracks and meet up with you down the river a ways."

Sasuke could see the hesitation on Sakura's face as she searched for some kind of comfort from Naruto's expression as she pulled her own pack off, tossing it to the blonde as he had.

"Naruto can take care of himself."

This time, Sakura looked to Sasuke after hearing the words from him mouth. It was evident that she didn't trust him outside of what she felt comfortable with, and she definitely wasn't comfortable with this at all, which is why Sasuke spoke at all in the first place, though his voice didn't conceal his impatience. He knew that she at least trusted Naruto.

"Go, now!" Naruto commanded, giving Sakura a confident nod and a silent promise that he would meet up with them soon. Sasuke would make sure that Sakura jumped in first before following quickly behind.

It was almost a little comical the way that Sakura took a deep breath, holding it in and plugging her nose as she jumped into the river. Sasuke exchanged a look with Naruto before quickly following suit, hearing him yell after him to keep his promise.

The cold sting of the water was immediate as Sakura felt herself being drenched and engulfed in the water of the river. She could feel the flow of the water immediately rushing past her. Immediately her mind began to race, and the first thought she had was that she needed to get up to the surface for air and then figure out what to do from there.

Letting go of her pinched nose, Sakura began to try her best to get up to the surface of the water, but panic began to set in when after a few moments, it felt as if she wasn't getting anywhere. The river couldn't of been that deep…

Before full on panic began to set in however with the worst thoughts and situations Sakura could think of, she felt a rough hand grab her, yanking her up until she felt her head come up out of the water in which she released the breath she had been holding since she had jumped off the bank, coughing a little as she did. Opening her eyes, she was met with the crimson of Sasuke's, his hand gripped firmly on her bicep. She began kicking and moving her free arm in an attempt to stay above water and not drag her or Sasuke down, but staying above water seemed almost effortless for the Uchiha.

"It's more shallow on the edge." Sasuke informed her, beginning to guide her closer to the bank on the other side. "Use the river floor to push yourself forward." He instructed as Sakura could feel some footing below her on the river floor.

"Okay."

She did as Sasuke instructed, taking a deep breath as she pushed herself off the river floor, letting the natural current carry her until her weight in the water caused her to slow and she needed to push off the river bottom again. The initial sting of the cold water was gone, and the adrenaline had kept her warm, but the cold was starting to settle in again after a few minutes. Neither of them could be in the water for too long or they would most likely end up getting hypothermia sooner than later.

Sakura could hear Sasuke swimming behind her, but neither of them talked as they pushed their way down the river. Part of her felt guilty for making things more difficult. If it were Sasuke or Naruto, either of them probably could have covered twice the distance in the river by swimming. She had just never learned… but she would make it a point to, if the chance ever arised.

"Here. Stop." Sasuke suddenly commanded, causing Sakura to immediately put her feet down. Sasuke pulled himself out of the water quickly, despite his own clothes being soaked. He then turned to reach down the Sakura, his sharingan still activated as he pulled her out of the water.

Water was dripping off from both of them, but neither of them had time to worry about that.

"Naruto is this way." Sasuke informed Sakura, quickly taking off away from the river bank with her in tow before she could even question him. The terrain was a little more flat here, and Sakura was silently grateful for it.

She quickly realized that Sasuke was spot on when the faint glow of blonde hair came into view of Naruto taking in quick shallow breaths at a tree. He looked a little ridiculous weight down by all of their traveling gear. Sakura began to wondered just what Sasuke's sharingan could do. How was he so sure that Naruto would be there? Was this how he was easily able to track her down before in the past? Was this how he had become so famed as a ruthless killer? No - she knew the answer to that.

"Well you guys look like shit." He remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Could say the same of you." Sasuke quipped back, not in the mood for Naruto's banter. Sakura hadn't noticed it until now, but the usual wild mess of Sasuke's spiky hair was now matted down with the weight of the water, and it looked a little strange.

"There is a place nearby that we can lay low for a bit. You guys are going to need to get out of those wet clothes anyway. We won't be able to light a fire though. That will be too risky." Naruto continued, as he looked both Sakura and Sasuke up and down.

The cold had now really settled into Sakura's body, and she was probably visibly shaking at this point, if not audibly. She didn't dare say something to reveal her situation and hold up either of them though - not when she had already caused the both of them enough troubles as it was.

"Then let's get moving."

The three of them once again began to trek on foot, but the terrain was leading them down a slope.

"There's small hidden cave up ahead. It's pretty far off the main trail, so I don't think many people are aware of it. You guys can get dry there, and we can try to get a little sleep. We are going to want to take off before daybreak again." Naruto explained as they quickly moved through the forest.

Sakura was slightly relieved at the idea of maybe getting at least a couple hours of rest and sleep. She was well aware of the fatigue and strain that adrenaline could put on the body, even if you felt fine. A few hours had to of passed now since rescuing Sasuke and their escape into the forest.

Though it was dimly lit by the full moon, Sakura could make out a small cave entrance tucked back into some thickly packed together trees, realizing that this is the place that Naruto must have had in mind.

"Here we are." Naruto announced. He tossed Sasuke his pack, and handed him back his sword before handing Sakura her own travel pack.

"I'll change out here." Sasuke informed them, stalking off beside the cave into some trees with the travel pack in his left hand, and his sword in his right hand. Sakura quickly realized that it left the cave for her to change in, and that it had probably been Sasuke's intent to let her use the cave. Sasuke could take care of himself anyway if somehow a threat were to present himself while he was changing, she also reasoned. Far better than she could anyway.

"Go ahead and change in the cave Sakura. I will wait out here." Naruto reassured her, allowing himself to plop unceremoniously into the earth with a huge sigh, facing away from the cave.

"Thanks." Was all Sakura could say in reply as she carefully made her way into the cave, clutching her travel pack to her body. She was glad that she had a change of clothes in them, though there would be nothing she could do about her soaking wet boots. She did however manage to pack some light sandals, and that would have to do for now until her boots were dry enough to wear again. It would at least be better than nothing.

Letting her pack drop to the earth with an audible puff, she immediately began wringing out her short wet pink hair, trying to finger through the tangles in them in an attempt to tame them. Next, she began to pull the wet clothes from her body, wringing each of them out while listening to the water from them fall to the ground below noisily. When she felt she had pulled out as much water as she could, she set them aside to dry, and began rustling through her pack for her dry clothes. She was shivering violently, feeling vulnerable in her exposed state, but as soon as she pulled over a new black tunic over her body and pants up her legs, she immediately began to feel some relief from the cold.

"Are you good, Sakura?" Came the voice of Naruto who called to her quietly in the cave, a slight echo of his voice reverberating throughout.

"Yeah, I'm good." Sakura called back quickly as she fumbled around putting on her sandals.

"Okay, we're coming in then."

Sakura heard the footsteps of both Naruto and Sasuke as they entered the cave. Sakura pulled out a light blanket she had managed to fit into her travel pack, wrapping herself in it.

"I'll take the first watch so you guys can warm up." Naruto offered. "Sasuke will take the next watch."

Sakura frowned. As much as she trusted Naruto's judgement on Sasuke, she was still uncomfortable on relying on him so easily, but she was also reluctant to voice her distrust and concern. Doing so would only create an even bigger uncomfortable rift between them. She had to try to trust him… after all, it was only the three of them, and if they couldn't at least try to trust each other, then none of them were going to succeed.

With that, Naruto settled his things down, grabbing his own katana before settling himself in front of the cave.

Sakura and Sasuke were further back in the cave, some distance between them and Naruto, and Sakura could feel the silent tension mounting between them as they settled down, the glow of the moonlight giving them a little bit of light.

"You don't trust me." Sasuke stated suddenly, his voice low and hushed as if he wasn't interested in letting Naruto hear their conversation.

"Forgiveness and trust are two different things, Sasuke." Sakura answered back softly, surprised at the conviction of her own words in her voice.

"I don't expect your forgiveness _or_ trust. This situation isn't ideal - however," Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh that hinted at slight irritation, "I am a man of my word. We Uchiha pride ourselves on that."

As much as Sakura didn't want to admit it, he was truthful there… and as angry as she wanted and could be at Sasuke for everything that had happened to her over the last few months at his hands, she knew that he was right. If he believed in something, even if it was wrong, then he did not go back on it.

"This is about much more than you not going back on your word," Sakura replied. "This war… and the hatred… it has taken so many lives, and so many things that can't be replaced, or forgotten."

Sasuke didn't reply to that, and Sakura suspected it was either because he didn't know how to reply to her harsh words and the insinuation behind them, or if he sensed her soured mood on the topic.

Sasuke let silence fall between him and Sakura after she had reminded him of the horrors she had experienced at his hands in the past few months. He didn't know why, but the way she said them had made his gut twist uncomfortably and his chest tighten. He felt what he could only know as guilt, and he really wasn't a fan of it.

Though he had said that he didn't expect her forgiveness or her trust, it didn't change the fact that he realized from her words that he _wanted_ them. He didn't deserve it, he knew, and it was selfish, but the way she viewed him… it bothered him. Despite his pride of usually not caring how anyone viewed him, not even Naruto, for some reason he didn't want _her_ to view him that way.

While she threatened to tear down his walls without even knowing it, Sasuke began to wonder how he could bring Sakura's walls down that she had built between them.

Their relationship was fragile, and for someone that he had treated so poorly, she was surprisingly tolerant and strong-willed in doing the right thing, even if that meant supporting him with Naruto.

He could hear the shivers she let off thanks to her chattering teeth, despite being in dry clothes and wrapped in a blanket. He felt fine after getting dry, but he knew that any offer of help from him to get warm would be quickly rejected by the pink haired woman beside him. She was petite in comparison to him, and in truth probably hadn't experienced anything like this before. He was conditioned and trained.

His mind began to drift off to earlier events as they sat in silence - the way that he had quickly pulled Sakura against him and the wall to avoid the guards that they had almost ran into. She felt so warm against his body as his arm had wrapped around her. Sasuke's mind then drifted off to the thought of how much warmer the two of them would be if she were to sit in front of him, letting him encase her in his body heat.

Sasuke's mind was dangerously drifting off into thoughts he would have never allowed himself to entertain when the sound of Sakura's chattering teeth once again interrupted his deep thoughts. It was obvious that she was having a difficult time in regulating her body temperature.

"Sakura," Sasuke breathed, "I can hear your teeth chattering from here." He stated firmly, hoping that she would listen to reason instead of letting her stubbornness that defiance that he had witnessed so many times overrule logic.

She didn't reply, causing the Uchiha to sigh. He was in no mood to explain himself. "Sakura, you need to warm up." He said once more in an attempt to garner her attention. It wasn't like the two of them hadn't been physically close before, but it would put a real problem on him and Naruto if she were to become ill. He knew that she would understand what he was offering.

Sakura didn't reply once again, much to Sasuke's annoyance at her refusal at his attempts to just do the logical thing, but after a few more moments, she sighed in defeat, standing up and moving towards Sasuke who positioned himself to allow the pinkette to sit in between his legs and against his torso, his body heat immediately relieving some of her shivering. He didn't dare wrap his arms around her as he could feel how tense she was at being so close to him. Naruto was already probably going to give a questioning glance, and if not, disapproval if he saw them like this.

Sasuke or Sakura didn't exchange any words after getting situated, but after a while when Sakura had finally let herself relax, her shivering stopping, but it was then that Sasuke realized that she had actually fallen asleep, her back slumping against his torso.

There was no way he was going to get any shut eye before Naruto came to switch a watch rotation with him with Sakura against him like that, and he was most definitely going to have to explain whatever it was that they were doing to the blonde, much to his annoyance.

Sasuke sat, staring out of the cave, hearing some commotion in the distance. He saw Naruto sitting there, polishing his blade in the moonlight, most likely his way of trying to calm his nerves that he had been trying to hide this whole time. Though it seemed like a stupid thing to do as it would be hard to see details even in the light of the full moon, he supposed that at least Naruto was keeping himself alert and busy.

He could feel Sakura's even and rhythmic breathing against him as she succumbed completely to slumber, and though he was tense at their contact, the storm that was swelling within him seemed to calm a bit. His train of thought was running off when it was suddenly interrupted by Naruto.

"Do I even want to know?" He whispered harshly. Sasuke couldn't see his facial expression, but he could imagine the skeptical raised eyebrow the blonde had.

"Her body temperature wasn't regulating." Sasuke stated, answering Naruto's curiosity.

"Never mind that, I didn't know you two were that chummy." Naruto mumbled quietly, clearly uncomfortable.

"We aren't." Sasuke denied immediately in a harsh whisper with a frown. The fact that Naruto seemed more chill about it than he expected surprised Sasuke.

"Well I guess you can't exactly move." Naruto snickered, lightening the mood, causing the Uchiha to glare at him.

"Shut up, Naruto."

Sasuke could imagine Naruto rolling his eyes at his response.

"Sakura talked about you, you know." Naruto admitted, his tone becoming serious.

"I can't imagine good things." Sasuke grumbled back.

"She never once really talked about what happened between you two." Naruto continued, settling himself across from Sasuke. "But, she always said that she saw a good person in you."

"That doesn't mean trust."

"No, it doesn't Sasuke, but for someone who isn't sure about trusting you, she sure seems comfortable like that." Naruto remarked, causing a foreign heat to rise to the back of Sasuke's neck and his heart rate to quicken.

Sasuke sighed. "What are you getting at Naruto?" He asked flatly, now impatient with whatever the blonde was going on about.

"Well I mean, I don't know what happened between you two, but it would take a serious idiot to not see there's something there."

"You would think that I would play at romance?" Sasuke hissed back, his temper flaring at the idea of Naruto thinking that it would be _something_ for them, that it was even _possible_ for them.

Sasuke's outburst caused the pinkette snuggled against his chest to stir, making him instantly stiffen as silence fell between him and Naruto at the thought of her possibly awakening their conversation.

"She will never think of me like that, so you better dismiss that ridiculous idea _now_." Though Sasuke's words were harsh, there was little threat of finality behind them.

* * *

This meeting was running way too late, and Hiashi's mood was becoming more sour by the minute. He was tired of listening to the council bicker - old people set in their old ways and the same linear thinking. Sometimes, he wondered how they ever survived as a clan this way. It was true that at the end of the day, Hashirama was the ruler, but the council held much of the power themselves, or at least Hashirama was never forthcoming in allowing otherwise so openly.

The bickering on what to do with Sasuke Uchiha had been going on for much too long, and with no agreeable end in sight. He had, for the most part decided to remain silent on the matter, only putting in his two cents that such a crime committed by Sasuke would result in him being jailed for life for his crimes against the Hyuuga specifically, but dealing with the loss and trauma that he caused the Senju and the other clans that were aligned with them was an entirely different matter.

There was a reason the Hyuuga had mostly stayed out of all the internal affairs of war to begin with, though they were allies to the Senju.

Hiashi noted the tired and increasingly less patient mood of Hashirama when suddenly a guard came bursting through the door without an announcement, panic in his voice causing all the bickering to cease as everyone turned their attention towards the outburst. Hiashi would have immediately reprimanded the soldier for his poor behavior and manners if it weren't for the absolute look of panic on his face and his heavy breathing as if he had rushed over here as fast as he could.

"My Lords! The prisoner! Sasuke Uchiha has escaped!" He announced hastily. For a moment the room went silent as if everyone was having difficulty in processing the words that had come out of the guards mouth, but then suddenly everyone erupted, panic evidently filling the room.

"What?! How did he escape?!"

"He will surely bring even worse wrath upon us!"

"He's loose in the Hyuuga lands and with surely go to Senju next! So many people are at risk!"

"How could the Hyuuga lose him so easily?!"

More accusations began flying around the room, the noise escalating higher and higher until -

"Silence!" Hashirama commanded, the room immediately falling quiet at his harsh and absolute demand. "We will solve nothing like this!" Hashirama eyed Hiashi, as if he had a feeling that the Hyuuga knew more than he was letting off.

"Hiashi, I want you to dispatch trackers now! Any trackers we have in the military units that accompanied us will help. For now all we can do is immediately hunt down the prisoner, and any acomplaces he may have. Fleeing on foot would not have gotten them far. In the meantime all of you are to retire to your quarters that the Hyuuga have so graciously provided, and there will be extra security in the mansion and all personnel put on high alert." Hashirama continued. "In the meantime, since this is land is under the jurisdiction of the Hyuuga, I will convene with Hiashi directly in emergency. You are all dismissed."

The tone and demands of Hashirama left no one to object, though some were muttering things to themselves as the council dispersed for the night. It was a few minutes before everyone had left, leaving Hiashi and Hashirama alone and the guard who had announced the news of the prisoners escape, now bowing profusely for his lack of respect.

"You are relieved." Hiashi instructed to the guard. "Go back to duty. Please close the door on your way out." He instructed firmly.

"Yes my Lord, I am sorry, my Lord." the guard replied, doing exactly as he was asked. When the door shut with an audible click, it was then that Hashirama spoke.

"So… Sasuke Uchiha… you seem too calm about this." Hashirama observed.

"On the contrary Hashirama, you know how I feel about the discord of this council." Hiashi replied slyly.

"Indeed. Though you do not need to be coy with me for Naruto's sake. I am not a fool to think that Sasuke escaped on his own."

Hiashi sighed, knowing that Hashirama was far too observant. "Naruto didn't want you mixed up in this or to have any suspicions put on you because you allowed him to become a General."

"That was still before circumstances changed. I can't imagine that any of this has been easy on him - I… can't help but feel a little guilty that he has always had to shoulder such burdens." Hashirama confessed.

"You know as well as I do that nothing would have been solved by Sasuke's death." Hiashi boldly stated. "And that Naruto has always chosen to shoulder these burdens. That boy… has always done things his own way, in the way he thinks he right." The Senju nodded his head in agreement.

"That is true. It would not have solved things - it would only have created a temporary band aid in the best case scenario."

"Sasuke is the rightful ruler of the Uchiha, and we both know that." Hiashi continued.

"How can I forget after Itachi? That's why I understand Naruto's act of desperation. Even so, there are political consequences to all of this." Hashirama sighed as if he was exhausted, bringing his right hand up to his temple to massage circles into it as if he was trying to relieve a headache.

"I know that there is. Since Naruto was an official General, he now going to be branded a deserter and a traitor - a sacrifice he was willing to make. I will no doubt have to resign my position on the council myself."

"We won't have a choice but to hunt him down." Hashirama conceded. "And to officially report him as such. Your resignation would be the best way to exclude you from ties for as long as we can… although we must be careful of the timing. Resigning immediately may not prevent any suspicions being placed upon you."

"Have the men search heavily in the North." Hiashi suggested. "You know as well as I do that Naruto is more cunning than that, but since we have a job to do, we have appearances and actions to hold to."

"No one can know of this, Hiashi." Hashirama warned. "I was afraid of this the moment I knew that Sasuke was imprisoned here, but If there was anyone who would interfere, who would be reckless enough, it was always Naruto."

"It's not _just_ Naruto," Hiashi confessed, "Sakura Haruno went too."

Hiashi was genuinely surprised to hear Hiashi mention her name with Naruto's. It was true that he did not know the young woman well though she had been his guest, and technically, she had no ties, no responsibilities to the Senju, but when Tsunade hears of this she is going to be furious.

Why would Sakura aid someone who had torn so many things from her life?

What kind of future did they have?

* * *

"Sakura, wake up." A voice called. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her, causing her to groan and push up against the source of warmth behind her, her eyes suddenly snapping open at the realization that the warmth was a hard toned torso causing the pinkette to suddenly jolt up and away. She could make out the faint color of blonde before her, realizing that it was Naruto who woke her, and the person that she had been seeking warmth from…

Was Sasuke.

Sakura drowned in embarrassment at realizing that she had tried to snuggle closer to the warmth in her reluctance to wake, that she had allowed herself to feel so relaxed in the presence of _him_.

He didn't move as she pulled herself up from the ground, dusting herself off as she did. She didn't dare say anything, and she was grateful that it seemed like neither Naruto or Sasuke seemed to make any notion to mention anything either.

"It's time to get going." Naruto continued. Sakura was blushing furiously as she immediately began to scramble for her things she had left out to dry, fumbling as she tried to put her things back into her travel pack. She could feel Sasuke's gaze upon her, probably amused at her flustered state. More curse words than she could count were flying through her mind.

As Sakura tried to focus on making sure she had everything packed up, she heard Sasuke move from his spot, getting ready himself for their departure. Had Naruto ended up taking the whole watch? Sasuke probably had also not slept while she scolded herself for being so easily comforted by his warmth. Frustration began to swell in her chest at the fact that both Naruto, and even Sasuke had been making up for all of her shortcomings, and they had done so without a single complaint.

Not a word was said between any of them as they packed the last of their things. It was still dark, but Sakura could see the sky turning a lighter shade of blue as the sun began to rise.

"We had a few trackers come past, but none of them managed to get too close, and it doesn't seem that any of them even picked up any of the tracks that we left. It seemed as if they were more sweeping the area than searching." Naruto said, finally breaking the silence. "Which means, the focus of their search is to the North as I predicted."

As much as Sakura was grateful, there was a large chance that their fortune also had to do with Hiashi.

"What now?" Sasuke questioned, "We are much easier to find in the daylight."

"Well, we can't stay in this cave all day. We have to keep moving. Our best bet will be to stick to the thick trees of the forest, and move at a slower pace. Running will cause too much noise. We will have to swing back around towards the North. Hiashi and Hashirama are both smart men. They know that if they don't catch us by nightfall today, then searching longer will be futile."

"What about fresh tracks?" Sakura asked. "How do we hide those? The three of us together, and three sets of tracks would create suspicions if they found them."

"I don't think that will be a problem. Like I said, they swept the area. The Hyuuga are exceptional trackers, but in this terrain it would still take someone paying attention and looking for tracks. There is only one person I know good enough to those kinds of tracks without much effort, and luckily, he isn't home." Naruto answered, somewhat cheekily. "But, if you are really that concerned, we can split up… however, in terms of strategy, it would make things more difficult."

Sakura's eyes shifted towards Sasuke, who stood there observing them both in silence as she conversed with Naruto before she quickly looked away, conceding that splitting up probably wasn't the best idea. She wasn't all that fond of most likely being left alone with Sasuke if they split up. "That's probably not a good idea either."

"Okay, let's head out then. We will go slower, but we all need to be on the lookout for any possible trackers or passerbys. Seeing anyone, or being seen could easily spell trouble."

With that, the three of them exited the cave, the sky quickly becoming brighter from the approaching day.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke soon fell into a comfortable pace, with Naruto leading the way, Sakura right behind him, and Sasuke following her. None of them spoke as they traversed their way through the forest. Sakura found the terrain much easier to handle in the daylight, and it was no wonder that it had given a hard time the night before. She also understood what Naruto meant by it being hard to track anything through it. Between the foliage, roots, and the inconsistent softness of the earth below, tracks were easily concealed, and hard to distinguish.

Sakura tried to ignore the repeating thoughts in her mind, thinking about how she had taken Sasuke's offer to warm up with his body heat, and at how unbothered he had seemed by it. It felt like she could feel his gaze on her back as they travelled, making her feel conscious… not that she should have a reason to be!

Why did he have to be so damn warm? He was like a damn human heater and the moment her body had stopped shaking with the shivers, her eyelids had fluttered closed, the exhaustion taking over her body at what it perceived was safety despite her inner self screaming at her to not let her guard down. Sakura had once before been close to Sasuke when she had ridden on the back of a horse with him, and she didn't dare think about it then, but sitting in front of him was a stark reminder of just how petite she was in comparison to him.

Sakura had no idea how much of the day had gone by. The three of them had traveled mostly in silence, except for the sounds of their muted footsteps, some rustling of their clothes and other items that they were carrying, and the heaviness of their breath.

They had managed to stop once for a quick snack break, not much said between the three of them even then, before continuing on their way. Unsurprisingly, there were people they came across as they continued their way through the forest, but each time they were quickly able to avoid detection. It was strange being the onlooker to unsuspecting people, and to listen to the rumors and chatter of the guards that seemed to carelessly patrol as if an international criminal and the two affiliated with him hadn't committed what would be an act of treason.

Sakura noticed how the sun eventually began its descent in the sky when at the peak of its height, it was clearly moving in the opposite direction it had risen, indicating that they were in the later half of the day and headed once again towards night. She wondered if Naruto had a place in mind that they would hide out for the night, or if they would continue on towards the border.

She thought about bringing up her curiosity to the blonde, when suddenly she could see and feel both Naruto and Sasuke immediately tense, Naruto's hand swiftly as in reaction reaching for the hilt of his sword as his demeanor immediately changed.

"Sasuke!" He called, his voice clearly depicting the sudden change of his state. "Someone's coming, fast. Shit."

"I know!" The Uchiha growled back, immediately unsheathing his sword, the glow of his red eyes immediately replacing the onyx that hid them. Sakura tensed, almost unsure of what to do as immediately her body's response went into fight or flight mode. Right now she didn't have the skills to fight head on, like Naruto or Sasuke. The sound of someone swiftly approaching them on horseback got louder and louder.

"TRAITOR!" Came a voice, and in what Sakura felt like was a flash, steel hit steel as Naruto withdrew his own katana in defense to their attacker, pushing him off them.

"Shit, figures it would be you." Naruto growled,assuming a defensive stance in front of both Sasuke and Sakura. "I was banking on you not being home, Neji."

In front of them stood a man who somewhat resembled Hinata, but instead of her dark raven hair, he had dark brown hair and those some pale lavender eyes. It was obvious that he was a Hyuuga, and Sakura wondered what his connection was to Naruto. His hair was long, and his face was in a scowl. He wore black pants, with a white shirt and chest guard, with an arm guard and on left hand. Instead of a sword however, he held a naginata. Quick to regain his stance, the Hyuuga assumed an aggressive stance, his naginata pointed at the blonde.

"There will be no escape for you! Or that woman and that _Uchiha._ " Neji threatened.

"I don't have a quarrel with you."

"You betrayed the Hyuuga! My Uncle! Lady Hinata!" Neji seethed. "I came home as soon as I heard the news. I could track you to the ends of the earth, and I would! Just to take the head off your bastard of a body!"

"Sakura, Sasuke," Naruto demanded harshly, but quiet enough so Neji couldn't hear. "You two continue on. The border isn't far. I was banking on this guy not being home. I will explain later."

"Are you really ignoring me, Naruto?" Neji demanded, who seemed irritated that Naruto's attention was turned elsewhere.

"Neji, as I said, I don't have a quarrel with you, even if we've never gotten along. Even if I tried to explain what was going on, you'd never listen anyway!" Naruto argued. "I don't want to fight you."

"You should have thought about that before you decided to abandon sanity helping that Uchiha!" Neji growled. He then immediately launched a ferocious swing at the blonde who once again blocked the attack, quickly maneuvering out the way. Neji's naginata hit the ground with a powerful strike, causing the ground beneath the blade to crater. The force of the blast caused Sasuke to pull Sakura out of the way of danger.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called.

"Stay out of this Sasuke, do what I told you!" Naruto shot back as Neji's attention once again turned to attacking Naruto.

It was clear that Sasuke didn't like any of this - Naruto taking this guy by himself, or telling him what to do. It seemed however, that Neji's attention was largely focused on the blonde. It also seemed as if the Hyuuga had come alone.

"Break left. We do as Naruto says." Sasuke told Sakura. Sakura, eyes glued to Naruto and Neji who were exchanging blows felt as if she was glued to the spot. Did she run? What if Naruto go captured? What would they do?

"Sakura!" Sasuke growled, grabbing her attention. Finally she tore her attention away from the fight going on to follow Sasuke.

"Don't even think about it!" Neji yelled, dodging out of the way from Naruto's latest attack and throwing his naginata towards the two fleeing. Sasuke easily saw it with his eyes and quickly dodged out of the way, but it didn't stop the two of them from coming to a stop. Sakura was sweating at this point. She turned her gaze again back at Naruto and Neji, the later now wielding a katana that he must have had as well to parry the attacks that Naruto was placing.

It was then that the sound of hooves from what sounded like another lone horse quickly approaching them, flying straight past both Sasuke and Sakura before it came to a halt and a figure jumped off a feminine voice demanding the two fighting to stop.

"Neji, STOP!" Sakura immediately recognized it as Hinata who had come dressed up in what Sakura assumed was her battle attire, wearing something similar to Neji, though decidedly more decorated in dark purple and gold.

"Lady Hinata you -"

"Neji, as your superior I'm tell you to stand down!" She firmly said once again, reaching for her own blade.

"Hinata, no! You can't be here!" Naruto called, clearly distressed by her appearance.

"Do you really intend to use force?" Neji asked skeptically.

It was clear that three of them were well acquainted, and had at best a tense dynamic. Neither Sakura or Sasuke moved, observing the turn of events. Sakura was trying to understand what was going on, and it seemed that so was Sasuke.

"If I have to! Rank has never been your strong suit, cousin." Hinata affirmed. "I knew the moment I saw you come home that you would hunt Naruto down!"

"Are you conspiring with them too? Has your infatuation with this _scoundrel_ really caused you to lose grip on reality?" Neji spat.

"It has _nothing_ to do with my feelings! You don't know what you are talking about!"

"No, Hinata! You have to go! Now, before your father finds out!" Naruto panicked.

"My father is on his way. Naruto, you have to go. It is best if you are not here. Please, go!" Hinata pleaded. "I promise, I will be okay."

"Hinata, I-"

"Go!"

With that, Naruto did as the raven hair woman asked, giving her a final glance before doing as she said.

"Naruto!" Neji screamed, but Hinata blocked his attempted assault. "Out of my way, Hinata!"

"I will defend him, Neji! I don't care if you don't understand my reasoning!"

Sakura couldn't help but feel like a complete outsider as she watched the exchange. Naruto attempted to compose himself as he headed towards both Sasuke and Sakura, glancing once again at Hinata before tearing his gaze away. He tried to put on a brave front, but Sakura could see the panic set in his cerulean eyes.

"We have to go. We don't have a choice but to sprint to the border. We need to cross the border now before things get any more out of hand! Hinata already…" He trailed off, as if uncomfortable with finishing his thought before taking off. Sakura followed suit and so did Sasuke as the three of them quickly sprinted away from the sound of clashing metal and furious Neji.\

Sakura couldn't bear to look back. She had no idea that Hinata was skilled with a blade, much less so determined as she had always come off more timid and fragile. She was brave though, and Sakura found herself wishing that she some sort of ability to fight for what she believed in like Hinata. She had put on a brave front. She could heal, but she could only heal those that were still alive. What good were such abilities if she couldn't defend the ones she cared about in the first place?

"The border is up ahead. Not much further!" Naruto yelled back to the two of them. "Keep moving. If Hiashi is coming, then I bet he's coming with others. Hiashi won't have a choice but to capture us if he finds us."

Sakura's heart was racing. She was breathing heavily and sweating. They were so close to the border, but her chest tightened into a sickening knot at the sacrifices that had been made. She couldn't help but wonder if Naruto and Hinata would be okay.

* * *

Ugh, I really don't know if I love how the end of this chapter went, but I felt that I couldn't have them escape easily without a conflict. I had been interested in adding Neji into the story, and felt that this would be a good way to introduce him, but Neji to me is one of the hardest characters to write.

Anyway, I know this update to forever to come, but thank you to those who were patient and waited! It is a little bit of a filler chapter, but now that they have escaped, we will now see the plot move along and more details of things get explained.

Thanks so much for reading, and please leave me your thoughts!


	14. The Safety of Refuge

Hi guys! Thanks so much for reading the last chapter and reviewing! Loved reading some of the feedback!

To address one guest reader: Thanks for asking why I wrote Naruto as a strategist. I can understand why it would seem odd, or OOC for him. It is true that Sasuke is generally more intelligent and observant than Naruto, I agree with that fact - and I think that it's been in debate in the Naruto fandom since the beginning of time whether or not Naruto is dumb and brash vs. intelligent. I could go into depth about this or that and examples of each, but for the context of the story, I couldn't exactly have Sasuke plot and lead his own escape in a place that he was a complete stranger. In doing so, I feel that he would have to force Naruto and Sakura into the plan, which would completely negate any character growth that has transpired for him thus far. Naruto was brash in thinking of breaking him out of prison in the first place. He had some sort of plan, but not down to minute details, as Shikamaru, Sakura, or Sasuke may have characteristically planned. Also, they are older in this fiction. I am taking some of his character traits from Naruto: The Last, as well as Boruto. I am not sure if you are familiar with either, or up to date, but actually in the latest manga chapters of Boruto, we do see Naruto strategize against his opponent in order to get information, and ultimately defeat them. There are a lot of dynamic shifts going on with Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto at this point in the story, so things will change as Sasuke continues to overcome the lies he's just learned, and Sakura becomes more confident. Thanks for reading, anon. I still hope you will continue to follow along and finish the story.

To address another guest reader: Thank you so much for reviewing, and I really do appreciate the constructive criticism! I definitely don't take offense to it, and truthfully it is probably something that I just haven't thought of in terms of the delivery of the dialogue… I skim the previous chapters to try and prevent plot inconsistencies, but I must admit that I am not quite that detailed… This story has taken me months to write, so I can be forgetful. At some point, I may go back and edit those kinds of details. Thanks so much for the review!

* * *

 **Chapter XIV:** The Safety of Refuge

* * *

 _Enter into the unknown_

 _Lost connections rekindled_

 _With new paths forged_

 _We face our fears_

* * *

"There! We move past the border and keep going!" Naruto shouted. The daylight had quickly turned to dusk as night began to quickly approach. Everything was so loud around them - the echo of clashing metal, men grunting in their rushed effort towards the scene that Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke had just escaped, and the sound of loud hooves from horses that trampled the earth as they were led by their riders.

Sakura could feel the burn in her lungs as her body desperately demanded oxygen from the exertion of her sprinting. Her legs were on fire, and it seemed that her adrenaline did little to numb it. She couldn't stop, wouldn't stop - not when they were so close to escaping.

She just kept moving forward, just trying to keep pace with Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto had pushed on ahead, gaining a little distance between them, but Sakura noticed that Sasuke had not, despite the fact that she was well aware that he could easily outrun her.

"Naruto! What will getting past the border do?!" Sasuke yelled, causing Sakura to slightly flinch at his unexpected, demanding inquiry.

"They won't go past the border - not to the North." Naruto shot back. It wasn't much of an explanation, but Sakura was sure that Naruto would answer it later. Naruto hadn't given much details at all in terms of finer expectations of their escape, and it was obvious that this bothered Sasuke - after all, he had a reputation when it came to strategy that had earned him the description of ruthless.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves seemed to become louder. Sakura wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the idea of looking back scared her. What if they were being pursued? There was no way that they could outrun horses!

"Don't look back," Sasuke growled, as if reading her mind. "Keep going!"

Sakura did as she was told, but Sasuke's words confirmed her suspicion.

"The border! Shit, we didn't go far enough to the NorthEast. There's a steep downhill on this side. If we get down it though, we will make it!" Naruto shouted.

Sakura's eyes widened, trying to register what Naruto had just said, and it wasn't until it seemed that Naruto just disappeared from her view that she fully comprehended what he meant.

The sound of something whizzing past her ear almost deafened her. Sakura was now at the edge of the drop that Naruto had described. More sounds of something whistling through the air added to the noise of the evening, and the sound of slicing metal resounded behind her. She hadn't realized that she had stopped in place, and that it was Sasuke who had drawn his katana, slashing away the oncoming assault of arrows.

"They're aiming at me, _go_." Sasuke growled, turning his attention to Sakura momentarily. It was clear that he was irritation, probably frustrated at her hesitance. Sakura was about to open her mouth to say something, when suddenly another arrow came whizzing to her left.

Everything that happened next happened in a blur. Suddenly Sakura felt herself launched from the ground, followed by tumbling. Everything was spinning, and the sound of cracking twigs sounded, muffled grunts and the smell of dust filled her senses.

Suddenly, it all stopped. Sakura could feel the sting of impacts and cuts on her legs and arms, impacts that she was sure would turn to bruises later. She groaned, dizzy from whatever had just happened but realized quickly that she was half laying on something _warm_.

Her vision focusing, she realized that she was laying atop Sasuke. Immediately she scrambled to get herself off, quickly piecing together what must have happened. Sasuke must have pushed them both out of the way of the arrow, and they must have gone tumbling down the hill. Had he attempted to protect her on the way down? Did he take the brunt of the impacts?

She wasn't sure what to say, and didn't dare look Sasuke in the face. Luckily, Naruto had found them.

"What happened up there? You guys came tumbling down! You look like shit, Sasuke."

Sakura had managed to stand up, and Sasuke was sitting in an upright position, glaring murderously at the blonde, but not saying a word. Somehow Sakura had been delegated to him as Naruto seemed to barrel on ahead.

Once again, the familiar sounds of whistles flew through the air, and an arrow landed right beside Sasuke, causing him to quickly rise from the ground. Sakura spotting Sasuke's Katana not far from them and pointing to it.

"We have to get out of range." Sakura panicked as Naruto knocked a few arrows out of the air. Sasuke in the meantime had managed to retrieve his weapon, immediately knocking some of the arrows out of the air as well as soon as his sword was in his hand, ready to use.

"Into the thick of the trees! We will be harder to spot. Weave between the trunks. They have the advantage of a downhill shot."

The three of them took off, this time a little separated as they quickly fled for cover into the trees. The terrain was much the same as before, but the further Sakura went, the quieter the whistles became.

Eventually the whistles stopped, and Sakura slumped her back against a tree trunk, her body screaming at her. She was desperately trying to catch her breath, and quickly realized that her, Sasuke, and Naruto were separated. Immediately her mind began to think of what to do next. She couldn't stay here forever, but splitting up was never the plan. Did she just continue forward? If anything, both Sasuke and Naruto had a better chance at finding her than she did at them, she tried to logically reason. Did that mean that maybe she should just wait there, even for a little bit? No... but she couldn't keep relying on them all the time!

Suddenly, Sakura heard twigs snapping beside her, immediately catching her attention. Before realizing it, she immediately clenched her hands into fists as a reaction, ready to try and defend herself in any way possible, however, a rough hand captured her fist easily, stopping her defense right in its tracks. Viridian met with the glow of red eyes that were transfixed on her as she realized who it was.

Sasuke had found her which brought both some relief and yet immediate anxiety to swell in a tight knot within her chest.

"Sakura's here, Naruto." Sasuke called, releasing Sakura from his grip as he moved away from her. Sure enough, Naruto appeared, clearly distressed, but relieved.

"We separated from each other farther than I thought. I'm sorry Sakura." Naruto apologized.

"It's okay." Sakura replied, her anxiety relieving. "Are either of you hurt? I can -"

"No." Sasuke quipped, sounding harsh in his answer. He was turned away from the both of them, but Sakura was sure that he was still observing their surrounding with his eyes.

"I'm okay. Are you hurt?" Naruto asked. Sakura shook her head.

"N-no… I don't think so. I'm okay." She replied, knowing that it was only because Sasuke had taken the brunt of their fall and that both of them had knocked oncoming arrows out of the way in their defense. If Sasuke was hurt, he was refusing to show any sign of it.

"Okay. Well, we are out of range. Hiashi isn't a big fan of coming out this way, at least, not without announcing it to the clan leader who manages these lands first." Naruto informed them. "We can finally take a breather."

"It's getting late." Sasuke stated, sheathing his katana.

"There is a smaller creek near here that branches off from the river. We will head there. It's still a little ways off though, but at least we can probably make a campfire tonight."

"Okay, let's go then," Sakura suggested, not wanting to stand still any longer.

* * *

"Hinata, what is the meaning of this?" Hiashi asked, the moment the doors closed to his private study. Hinata flinched at the harsh tone of her father.

"Father, I -" Hinata began. "I knew that as soon as Neji was home he would go after Naruto! I-"

Hiashi sighed, frustratingly rubbing his temples with his right hands.

"Do you understand the gravity of your actions? This could easily implicate you in this conspiracy! There were witnesses! This has created a difficult situation, and by the gods are you lucky that Lord Hashirama had just left beforehand!" Hiashi scolded.

"Father I will accept any punishment fitting of my actions!" Hinata determinedly answered.

"No," Hiashi continued. "The punishment is my own. For appearance sake however, you are to be confined to your quarters until two weeks time while I figure how to quell the situation."

"No father, you didn't have anything to do with this! I was willing to accept the consequences from the beginning! I-"

"Hinata," Hiashi interrupted, his voice firm yet somewhat softening. "You did the right thing. If you had not gone there, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke would have most likely been captured, and I would have to force my hand. However, there is only so much I can do to protect you, or Naruto. So, for the time being, you are to go to your quarters. _Now._ "

Hinata bowed to her father, unable to say any more as she contemplated his demand. It seemed that there was more going on than she even understood, and Naruto had ultimately kept her out of the loop as well.

As she turned the leave her father's study and go to her room as her father had directed, she fingered the ring that was strung on a necklace around her neck, squeezing it.

* * *

It was definitely nightfall by the time the three of them reached the small creek that Naruto had mentioned was around the area.

Sakura hadn't realized just how parched she was until she stuck her dirty hands into the creek, the cool water stinging on her fingers. She quickly splashed some on her face before scooping some up in her hands to drink from.

"We can rest here." Naruto said, after cleaning himself up in the creek. Sakura was still sitting beside it, her body sore from the day's events.

She glanced up at Sasuke, wondering what was going through his mind. She had been silently wondering about it the whole way here. He didn't say a word, but his crimson eyes had once again faded to onyx. His expression was unreadable.

"I managed to pack up some dried seasoning and veggies. I can make a soup." Sakura offered.

"Okay, well then I will go grab some firewood." Naruto answered, dropping his travel pack unceremoniously on the ground and groaning as he stretched.

As the night settled in, there was a light breeze that sent chills down Sakura's body. Naruto did as he said, walking back into the thick of the forest from their little clearing to go find what Sakura assumed would be tinder and wood pieces large enough to sustain a fire.

Sakura shrugged off her own travel pack, unsure of what to say to Sasuke as the two had once again been left alone.

"Your left ear was cut." Sasuke stated, his voice low, and collected, unexpectedly causing Sakura to jump at his words. She tentatively reached up, feeling tried blood matted in her hair, and a slight sting as she touched the affected area.

"O-oh. I didn't notice." Sakura answered, before she began to rummage through her pack to find the food she had packed for soup. She would heal her ear later. It didn't seem that Sasuke was interested in saying more, but she heard him drop his own travel pack to the ground, before she heard his footsteps begin to depart. Suddenly she found herself slightly frantic, blurting out what she knew she should at least say.

"Thank you," She began, her voice portraying her unsureness. "For earlier, I mean. You didn't have to do that."

Sasuke's footsteps stopped, and Sakura dared to look up at him. His back was to her, but the slight turn of his feet and his frame to his left side towards her indicated that he heard what she said, and he replied,

"It was nothing."

He then continued heading off. Sakura was unsure of what he was doing, but for some reason, she didn't feel like she needed to worry.

"Where's that bastard off to?" Naruto commented, carrying what Sakura assumed was what they needed for a fire for the night.

"He didn't say… but I don't think he's going anywhere." Sakura answered.

"Just leave that stubborn ass be. He's probably in rougher shape than he's letting off. I'd just give him his space for a bit." Naruto shrugged before dropping the wood he had collected to the ground. "In the meantime, I'm gonna get our fire started! I'm starving!'

For the first time in what seemed like a while, Sakura gave Naruto a small smile. No matter what, the blonde always seemed to find a way to be lighthearted.

"Can you show me how to start a fire?" Sakura asked, quickly busying herself in an attempt to push her curiosity of Sasuke out of her mind.

"Sure, if you want to. Nothing exciting though." Naruto answered, as he plopped down to the earth, kneeling over the dirty and brushing away loose debris to make a starting point for the fire. Sakura kneeled beside him.

"I know, I just feel that it might be a good skill for me to learn is all." Sakura reasoned .

"Well, first we gotta make an area for the fire. Usually you want to make some sort of barrier to prevent the fire from jumping, like a basic circle of stone or rock, but we are on dirt so it should be fine." Naruto explained, beginning his instructions. "Then we want to start arranging the wood. Kind of like a hut. The base needs to be vented to allow air to easily flow in for the fire to feed off off.. Though once we have coals we don't have to worry about that as much."

Naruto began arranging the different sizes of wood he had gathered in a circular overlaying fashion, and Sakura understood what he meant by a hut design.

"You have to collect dried leaves and small twigs, or dry bark and such as well. The tinder is what kindles the fire after we create a spark." Naruto continued, settling a handful of something dry underneath his hut. "There should be two stones in the right pocket of my travel pack. Can you grab those for me?"

Sakura did as Naruto asked, standing from her spot and moving towards his pack, kneeling down to reach into the pocket he had instructed. She immediately felt to hard objects that were cold and rough, which were the items that Naruto had asked for. Pulling them from the pocket, she returned to her spot beside Naruto, handing them to him.

She watched as Naruto began to strike the two rocks against each other by the timber repeatedly, tiny sparks flying from the impact before suddenly, a small piece caught aflame. Naruto then slowly blew on the budding flame, quickly causing it to catch and grow.

Sakura watched as in a couple minutes, it seemed that their small fire was quickly going to grow to a reasonable, sustainable source of heat.

"We should probably check on Sasuke, and by we, I mean probably you." Naruto suggested, causing Sakura's face to flush.

"Why me?" she almost squeaked in response, unsure of why Naruto would suggest such a thing.

"You should have seen him earlier while we were looking for you. I don't have a death wish." He nonchalantly reasoned, almost in a tease.

"And I do?!" Sakura exclaimed, now completely uncomfortable with the idea.

"Nah, you'll be fine. Promise." Naruto reassured.

"Fine I guess, you big baby." Sakura huffed in an attempt to insult the blonde beside her, though she was still nervous. She stood from her spot, brushing off the imaginary dust (or maybe not imaginary, who knew it was dark) before slowly walking off in the direction that Sasuke had left.

She felt exposed, unsure of where Sasuke had gone exactly, or how far, but she would at least try. She walked a little ways, before recognizing the glow of crimson red, and a figure slumped against a tree, though she could hear desperately controlled labored breathing.

It was clear that he heard her approaching him because his attention almost immediately snapped towards her, his red eyes burning as they met Sakura's viridian. Sakura could see the glistening of sweat on his face in the moonlight, and his expression was defensive and a threatening scowl at best.

"What?" He snapped, causing Sakura to flinch at the harshness of his tone, but something deep in her chest told her that he didn't really mean it, and that he was trying to hide the pain behind his voice. He had lied. There was no way he hadn't been hurt earlier.

Sakura gulped. "Sasuke, let me… take a look at you. You don't look okay." She said softly, her voice hesitant as she slowly approached the Uchiha. His scowl did not lessen, but he did nothing to halt her advance towards him.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity before Sakura reached him, as she slowly kneeled beside him, her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest. Neither had taken their gaze from the other as the distance between them closed.

Based on his labored breathing, there was a good chance that Sasuke had probably damaged a rib or sustained some other kind of damage on his torso. Slowly, she raised her hands towards his torso, beginning to concentrate her chakra there to try and find the problem.

Sasuke didn't move, but he focused his attention elsewhere as he let Sakura look him over. This wasn't the first time that she had healed him, or been this close to him, and yet it affected him in the same infuriating way every time.

He wanted to push her away - he hated showing anyone any weakness, but there was just something about the softness of her presence that kept him from putting distance between them. It seemed that she was more perceptive than he was willing to admit, though he should have known as much.

It wasn't calculated, the way that he had lunged to push them both out of the way of that arrow, and he found himself wrapping Sakura close to his body as they tumbled down the steep hill, almost in instinct to try and prevent her from sustaining any damage. In doing so, he was pretty sure that he broken at least two of his ribs.

It was his own stupid fault, he had reprimanded himself. He refused to say anything about it, and would deal with it himself. He had sustained by far worse injuries in his lifetime, and countless scars to tell the tale.

However, Sakura had seen right through him. She invaded his walls, tearing them down without fail as she always did.

He wanted to lash out like a wounded animal, but instead, he allowed Sakura to come close to him. He stiffened when he felt her petite hands against his left side, her hands glowing green and healing him.

At first there was a sharp sting, and then a strange warmth as she found the source of his pain, two broken ribs on his left side putting pressure on his lungs, and then, the pain began to recede and dull into an ache.

Sasuke didn't say a word, looking away from her in an uncomfortable silence. What could he say? However, he was surprised when Sakura spoke first, breaking their silence.

"I really meant it, when I said thank you." Sakura softly admitted. Sasuke grunted in response.

"You don't owe me anything."

"Why… didn't you say anything earlier?" She asked tentatively, as she continued to work on Sasuke's ribs.

"I don't need you and Naruto protecting me." Sasuke stated simply.

"That's rich, coming from you." Sakura quipped in reference to him protecting them, slightly irritated at Sasuke's stubbornness.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's wrists, their eyes once again locking. Sasuke read the shocked expression on Sakura's face at his contact with her hands, as they both stilled, and she stiffened, unsure of what his intent was.

"That's enough." Sasuke finally said, releasing Sakura from his grip. He had not been rough at all, but they were much to close. Sasuke could feel the tickle of her breath on his ear and neck, arousing a slumbering coil in the pit of his stomach. He could hear Sakura's erratic heartbeat.

"Sorry, I-" Sakura began to stammer, but Sasuke cut her off. She didn't have anything to apologize for.

"I'll head back in a minute." He stated, as he pulled away from her, standing up once again, his body stiff but feeling much better after the healing hands of the pinkette beside him. He didn't say another word to her, but he heard the soft patter of her footsteps as she retreated from him, back towards the campfire and back to Naruto.

No doubt he was the one who had put her up to this in the first place.

Didn't that idiot get it when he said that there would _never_ be anything between them?

* * *

The last couple days had been anything but easy after everything that had transpired. After reprimanding both Hinata, and his nephew Neji at his brashness, Hiashi immediately traveled to the Senju capital to report on the last happenings.

It had taken time, but he had managed to quell any rumors within the Hyuuga about what was going on, and Hinata's interference. Luckily, it seemed that for the most part no one had seen Naruto and the others in their escape, other than Neji and his usual party of followers that he travelled with, and for the most part none of them had a single idea of what was going on.

His daughter had expected a much harsher punishment from him to his surprise, and Hiashi himself was surprised at her tenacity and forwardness. When had Hinata become so forward in such things? She had always been shy and timid. Were they always going to rely on others to fix this situation? How was it that the older, wiser ones were the ones left behind, allowing those younger to shoulder their burdens?

He reached the main palace in which Hiashi resided, brilliant in its splendor as ever.

"L-Lord Hyuuga! We did not know that you would be visiting us!" A guard stammered, stiffening to attention upon seeing the older man.

"I did not announce in advance my arrival -however I have urgent news for Lord Hashirama." Hiashi announced.

"Of course my Lord, right this way." The guard accepted, leading the Hyuuga ruler into the residence.

"I will inform Lord Hashirama immediately. It seems that he has much to do in his study involving matters of the clan today." The guard stated.

"Alright, I will wait, thank you." Hiashi replied. The guard then rushed off, letting an attendant know of the current situation.

Hiashi did not have to wait long, before a younger woman came to greet him.

"Lord Hiashi." She greeted. Hiashi immediately recognized her as Hashirama's granddaughter, Lady Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade," Haishi bowed. "It's been quite a while since I last saw you. You haven't aged a day."

"You flatter me." Tsunade replied with a cheeky smirk. "My grandfather is this way. I will take you to him. I have a feeling that we have things to discuss, as I do, regarding Sakura Haruno."

"Sakura Haruno? You know of her?" Hiashi asked, curious as to the relationship Tsunade had.

"Indeed. She is my pupil." Tsunade answered as they came to two large doors that Hashirama immediately recognized as the entrance to Hashirama's personal study.

"Grandfather, Lord Hyuuga has come." Tsunade announced, as she opened the door.

"News about our current situation, no doubt." Hashirama called as the two entered the study. "You coming in person, without previous notice means one thing."

"Indeed," Hiashi admitted. "Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha have all fled into the Northern border of the Hyuuga lands."

The silence in the room was almost suffocating before Hashirama let out what seemed like a sigh of relief.

"Close the door, we will discuss this in private." Hashirama instructed. Hiashi then looked at Tsunade, unsure of how much she knew, but when she didn't budge, he did as his old friend asked, shutting the door. "Sit down."

Hiashi settled himself on a large chair beside Hashirama's desk, with Tsunade following suit.

"I guess for now, we are going to have to do fear control of the public." Hashirama began.

"Indeed. The Northern lands of the free tribes are governed by him, and you know how much he dislikes our politics and the conflicts of the Senju and Uchiha." Hiashi began. "I can have us try to continue to pursue them in the Northern territories, but it will take some time to negotiate passage with Jiraiya." Hiashi offered.

Hashirama shook his head. "No, don't bother. I have no intention of pursuing them at this point." He said, looking at Tsunade sternly. "As far public panic, the rumors will have to be squashed, but for now they should be contained within the Hyuuga. I will leave that up to you. As of current, the council is not aware that they have escaped into the Northern Lands, and we will have to leave it at that. It will cause the council to deliberate for some time about them. At that point, we will have no idea where they are."

Tsunade slammed a fist down into the coffee table beside her and Hiashi, causing the two older men to flinch.

"I can't believe you two, of all people let _Sakura_ go with them!" She huffed irritatedly. "Sakura hasn't finished her training! What are you old men planning?"

"It was her choice, Tsunade," Hashirama reminded the stubborn blonde, his voice stern.

"Yeah, but -"

"If you are that worried about her, Tsuna," Hashirama continued, "Maybe you should go pay Jiraiya a visit yourself."

Tsunade frowned. She hated that nickname! She scoffed.

"As if."

* * *

Almost three days had passed since the night of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke's first campfire. The terrain was more open in a sense, though still jagged and rough. After the first day, they finally emerged from the forest, into open plains and a large mountain range before them.

Heading North also meant that it was getting increasingly colder the more they traversed in that direction. Sakura found herself dressing with as much warmth as she could to brave the icy winds that were whipping through the plains that day.

Naruto still hadn't explained much, but he had told them that their first stop would be to a small village, one of the free clans to the North that he was well acquainted with. He was sure that they would be able to get a couple days rest there, think about their next course of action, and restock on some of their travelling supplies. He didn't divulge much information past that, and neither Sakura nor Sasuke bothered to ask at this point.

The three of them hadn't conversed much other than what seemed necessary - to be honest, Sakura herself was feeling weary and depleted. She was sure that none of them had slept well in the last few days, and each were on edge. Sakura had expended more chakra than she initially thought when she mended Sasuke's ribs, and neither of them mentioned that she had done so to Naruto.

"Aren't we a lively bunch," Naruto began, as the three of them were walking across an open field.

"The silence was fine." Sasuke answered without hesitation.

"I've been putting up with everyone's silence for three days." Naruto decidedly whined. "Seriously, is this how you are going to behave as travel companions?"

"We just escaped what we might as well consider death, Naruto." Sakura rolled her eyes, though her tone was more on the playful side.

"Well we can relax a little now, right?" Naruto asked, though the question was rhetorical.

"I guess that depends on where you are taking us." Sasuke inquired.

"Oh that! It's not much longer. We will be there by this evening." Naruto answered nonchalantly.

With that, silence fell between the three of them once again. It seemed that Naruto wanted to chatter more, but he must have admitted defeat when he didn't press the matter. It wasn't that Sakura wasn't in the mood for talking - in fact, she had wanted to ask Naruto how he was feeling about Hinata. He hadn't said a word about what had happened a few days ago, and if he had any worries, he was hiding it away. She made a mental note to try and ask him about it once they got to wherever it was that Naruto was taking them.

The sun was beginning it's descent into the sky by the time that Sakura noticed the smell of a fire, and smoke rising in small pillars in the distance. She could tell that whatever the source of the smoke was, it was distinctly patterned like they were rising from homes somewhat clustered together in an area that must have been below their current ground level.

They travelled closer and close, until the plains began to sink downward, and it was at the edge of this slope, that the three of them stopped for a moment, looking at the village down below.

"See. Told you I was taking you somewhere." Naruto finally chirped, a grin on his dirty face. "Also, I know Sakura will be fine, but Sasuke, be on your best behavior. That old man that lives down there is well… let's just say he's kicked my ass a few times and leave it at that."

Sasuke frowned, shooting the blonde a death glare, but he didn't grace Naruto's insult with a response.

The three of them began to descend down towards the village - it was simple, much like Sakura remembered her own village to be, but perhaps a little more so. Small pens of various farm animals were scattered around, and there were few homes clustered together, along with a water well that sat in the middle of the place. The houses were made of stone and wood, yet looked sturdy… most likely built to withstand the harsh winters that likely occurred here.

"The house furthest to the right. That's where we are headed. Let me do the talking, okay?" Naruto instructed. Sasuke and Sakura followed suit, neither of them voicing a complaint or concern.

When they finally reached the wooden door of the hut, Sasuke and Sakura stood a few feet back as Naruto approached the door, knocking on it. No sounds came from inside the house, but it seemed obvious that an occupant must have been inside since light was being emitted, and the smell of a fire going filled the nearby air as smoke rose from the stone chimney.

They heard footsteps approach the door, and the jangling of a lock before the door opened with a loud creak to reveal a grumpy looking older man with long white spiky hair, black eyes, and red tattoos on his face that ran from his eyes down. He was shorter and more stout, wearing a simple pale green robe and red tie with sandals. Sakura watched in confusion as the expression on the man's face first turned from seriousness, to disbelief, to what seemed like utter happiness upon seeing the blonde in front of him.

"Well it took you long enough you slow idiot!" Came the greeting of a deep voice from the old man, surprising the three of them that stood at the door.

Naruto groaned. "Figures you'd know." He muttered. The old man gave a hearty laugh, slinging his arm casually around Naruto.

"What fool do you take me for boy? Who taught _you,_ after all." The old man teased. The welcome was heartwarming to Sakura as she watched a small, happy smile form on Naruto's face as he allowed the insults of his greeting. For a couple moments, Jiraiya ignore both Sakura and Sasuke who stood in front of them a little awkwardly, but after a deep sigh, and the serious look on his face settled in once more, his focus undoubtedly once again turned to them.

"Seems the reports were right when they said you had brought two others with you." He said seriously, though his tone did not indicate any threat.

"Yes, I did." Naruto admitted. "Right now, you are the only one I can trust, Jiraiya." The old man sighed, but gave both Sasuke and Sakura a small smile.

"Alright, all three of you come in before it gets any colder. You're letting the heat out of my house." He motioned for all of them to come inside, Naruto reassuring them with a motion of his hand to beckon the two of them to follow.

Sakura wanted to be hesitant, but she felt as though she couldn't resist the offer.

Once all four them were in the residence, Jiraiya shut the door behind them, locking the door once more.

He eyed both Sasuke and Sakura once more, looking over Sakura a little longer, though not in a way that made her uncomfortable.

"You must be Sakura Haruno, yes?" He asked finally, causing the pinkette's eyes to widen in shock.

"H-how did you know?" She asked, setting her travel pack down beside Naruto's.

"Naruto corresponds with me often, however, I knew your parents - I am sorry for you loss." he added, though almost hesitantly as he eyed Sasuke. Sakura had a feeling that he was aware of who he was as well, though he had not addressed it yet. "The pink hair is unforgettable."

"Oh, I see…" Sakura trailed off, a part of her wanting to question the older man more about what he knew, though she refrained from asking such questions at the time.

"And you," He continued, this time turning his attention to the Uchiha. "Sasuke Uchiha, ought to be dead where you stand." he huffed. Sasuke's expressed was controlled, and though the old man was blunt, there was no threat in his words. "If it weren't for these two, you would be."

"Sorry, I didn't tell you earlier, old man." Naruto apologized, seemingly having been on edge as to what Jiraiya might have done, but once it was clear that the old man had no intentions in mind, everyone relaxed a little.

"Put your travel packs down. Naruto, help me fetch more food. It's dinner time, and I'm hungry. Sit down and eat." The old man grunted as he barked orders at everyone. Sakura was unsure of where to sit, though the small modest wooden table in the room held four chairs, almost conveniently, as she heard Sasuke rustle around while he took his travel pack off and untied his katana from his waist. Feeling awkward, but not wanting to offend their assuming host, she made her way to the table, picking a seat to situate herself in as Jiraiya and Naruto disappeared into another room, talking in hushed tones.

Sasuke soon followed suit, though he had still not said a word as chose to sit beside Sakura. It was so strange to watch Sasuke do as he was told, Sakura almost thought amusedly, though she wouldn't dare ever voice that aloud.

Jiraiya and Naruto soon returned with more bread, hot soup, and dried fish.

"I'll hear the explanations after dinner. For now, eat." Jiraiya said, setting hot bowls in front of Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto settled himself across from Sakura, with an unconcerned expression as he nodded at Sakura to eat.

"Thank you." Sakura managed to humbly say, as Jiraiya finally sat in his own seat, beside Naruto. He didn't say anything in response, but Sakura knew that he acknowledged her thanks anyway.

Dinner was eaten in a awkward silence, but as soon as it seemed that everyone was done, Jiraiya instructed Naruto to clean up. It was also strange seeing Naruto take orders from the old man without a seeming complaint, though Sakura caught him mumbling something under his breath about 'old man' and 'still bossing me around' under his breath which almost made her want to laugh at his ramblings.

"I guess let's begin," The old man spoke, now that they had all eaten and could settle enough to talk. "I am Jiraiya. Naruto has been my student for a long time, so I have at this point heard stories about the both you," Jiraiya continued, "you especially, Sasuke." he added, looking at the Uchiha directly. "I know exactly who you are - probably too much - so tell me why, I should not hand you over back to the Hyuuga."

Sakura immediately tensed at his blunt question, and she could tell that Sasuke immediately tensed as well, though he kept his composure, and his expression stoic.

"I don't have a fabricated story for you to believe me with." Sasuke answered flatly. The old man once again laughed, as if amused.

"No, I suppose not, but a man like me has many ways to obtain information." Jiraiya answered. "I know of yours and Naruto's history, as well as the history of your clan, Sasuke."

At this, the Uchiha's expression changed to somewhat surprise.

"A long lost prince, brainwashed and lied to and turned into a ruthless killer sounds like a pretty tragic story to me."

"There is nothing tragic about being a ruthless killer." Sasuke answered firmly.

Jiraiya's demeanor that was lighthearted immediately changed into one that was serious. Naruto had seemed to sense this as he finished putting the mess of their dinner away before he returned to the dining room, leaning against the doorway the separated it from the kitchen. He was observing both Sasuke and Jiraiya.

"Reasonable words, indeed." the old man agreed. "The blood of those innocents will forever stain your hands. They will be your sins."

Sasuke said nothing in return to Jiraiya's words, but it was clear that he didn't disagree with the old man. It was obvious now, however, to all of them just how tense Sasuke was.

"Relax, boy," Jiraiya said, "I believe Naruto, and I have no intentions of turning anyone in, most of all you. After all, you're the only one that can atone for the sins of the Uchiha."

"My life alone could never atone for those sins." Sasuke replied.

"Satisfactory enough, I suppose." Jiraiya conceded, before turning his attention towards Sakura.

"I have to admit though, that this is most unexpected, to see you of all people, travelling alongside _him_." Jiraiya noted.

Sakura's breath felt stuck in her throat. Did that mean that he knew that Sasuke was part of the cause of the death of her entire clan? Of her father? Did he knew that he had taken her prisoner?

"I'm doing what I think is right." Sakura answered as calmly as she could. It was weird how the old man could interrogate them so casually, so directly, though without it being formal to any degree.

"I won't ask about it - I could not even begin to comprehend what led you to this point, only that Naruto talks highly of you, and that you must trust that dumbass more than I ever would." he commented with a slight chuckle, causing Naruto who stood behind him to frown at the insult.

"Naruto is someone I trust implicitly." Sakura reassured. "And I believe that Sasuke doesn't mean any harm to anyone other than those that deserve it," she added firmly. She didn't dare look at what kind of expression Sasuke might have had at her confession however.

"Forgiveness takes a large amount of personal strength." Jiraiya noted.

"No sir, I don't feel that I have any more personal strength than the next person." Sakura modestly denied. "But I am determined."

"I see." the old man contemplated. "It's late. Naruto, we have a lot to discuss tomorrow, so the three of you should get some rest. You all look like shit. I have two spare rooms. Sakura can have one to herself."

"Thank you." Sakura thanked, the old man grunted.

"If any of you so much as step one hair out of line though while in my village, you will have _me_ to deal with." Jiraiya warned. With that, he mentioned something to Naruto before motioning to the blonde to follow him. The two of them disappeared into a hallway on the opposite side of the kitchen, Naruto giving both Sasuke and Sakura a quick reassuring glance before disappearing out of their view.

This left both Sakura and Sasuke sitting at the table in a bit of an awkward silence, as if unsure of really what to do next. Their host was more than accommodating enough, however it wasn't until they were left there that Sakura realized that he hadn't left any instruction as to where either of the spare rooms or even the bathroom was. Sakura glanced over at her travel pack, contemplating going over to it to rummage around in it to at least look like she was doing something, while she heard Naruto and Jiraiya talk quietly amongst themselves though she was unable to make out what it was that they were saying

As she about moved to push the chair out from behind her and stand, unable to bear the awkward suffocating silence between her and Sasuke any longer, he spoke, catching her by surprise.

"Even hurting those that deserved it wouldn't atone for anything," Sasuke began, referring back to her earlier comment about him. Sakura's attention turned to him, viridian eyes meeting onyx. Every time their eyes met, it was like an electricity jolted through Sakura, drawing her in.

"It's true that maybe it wouldn't," Sakura began in response, noticing the intenseness in Sasuke's gaze, and how strange it felt when his name rolled off her tongue as she realized that she had never really said his name much before, "But I said that because… I want to believe that's the only reason you'd cause anyone any harm again." Sakura was unable to look at Sasuke anymore as she finished her sentence, feeling a little bold at admitting such a thing as she really did get up to go over to her pack. At the very least she could start to put together some clean clothes as she had no intention of sleeping in someone's home with as dirty as she was.

She could feel Sasuke's gaze on her back as she did so and did her best to ignore how conscious she felt about it.

As if perfect timing, both Jiraiya and Naruto came back into the room, probably done discussing whatever it was that they felt needed to be discussed in private. Naruto seemed a little put off, but Jiraiya did little to reveal his feelings.

"I just realized that I did not tell you where your rooms are - sorry for that, Naruto is usually my only guest and I typically don't have to tell him those kinds of things." the older man apologized.

"Unfortunately I don't have a private shower - we are a small village, so we typically bathe in a nearby pond of water that the river runs into. There's a lighted pathway to it so you can go bathe if you see fit. As for your rooms, they are just down this hallway, the two doors on the right. I don't care who takes what rooms." Jiraiya continued. "Oh, and one more thing. No one is to enter my room, and I would prefer it if you didn't be too noisy. I'll be heading to bed now."

With that, the old man said his goodnight, giving Naruto one last stern look before disappearing into the hallway and behind his bedroom door.

"He might seem grumpy, but I promise you he's a spritely old perverted jokester." Naruto finally said after he was sure that Jiraiya had retreated.

"Perverted?" Sakura asked, wondering why Naruto would even mention such a thing. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Don't even ask." He groaned. "Anyway, I sure as hell am hitting up the baths. I haven't bathed in three days. I don't even want to know what I smell like."

At this Sakura couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Naruto's lightheartedness. "Well the good news is, any stench is hidden by the strong smell of campfire… though I can't say whether it's really all that much better."

"Ah, I guess if you want to go first though Sakura, you can. That old man would rip me a new one if I forgot my manners." Naruto suggested. "I've got some things to scold Sasuke for anyway, ya know, guy talk."

At this, the Uchiha glared at the blonde.

"Thanks." Sakura accepted, glancing over at Sasuke who was glaring at Naruto.

"Just follow the left pathway, and you will see a sign that tells you which way is the bathing area. Jiraiya has the closest place to the baths which is both convenient, and slightly scary." Naruto joked. Sakura began to wonder if she should start taking Naruto's words about the old man's pervertedness seriously, but for now she would let it be.

"Okay. Well then, I'll be back in a bit." Sakura thanked once more, glad that she had found a clean change of clothes. She would have to wash all of her things tomorrow. With that, she grabbed her things and headed out the door.

* * *

Sasuke watched as Sakura exited through the front door of Jiraiya's home, shutting it behind her. He wondered if she would be okay on her own, but then again, it wasn't his place. If Naruto didn't seem concerned, should he? Why was he even thinking about it in the first place?

"Okay, I'm not really going to rip you a new one," Naruto admitted. "But we do need to talk. Anyone's barely said anything since everything's happened." Naruto began seriously. Sasuke really wasn't one for words, but whatever it was Naruto wanted to say, he knew that he wasn't going to hear the end of it, and if Naruto wanted to say it with Sakura around, he wouldn't of sent her on her way. "Let's go outside. We don't need to wake the old man up either. Trust me, that's a bad idea." Naruto almost cringed, as if remembered some sort of punishment that he might have received for doing such a thing in the past.

"Fine, then." Sasuke agreed, getting up from the table to follow the blonde outside. He watched as Naruto settled himself down on the grass in front of the home, a habit most likely from the time that Naruto must have spent here. Since their separation as young boys, Sasuke knew very little about what kind of life the blonde had led, but it was obvious that personality wise he hadn't changed much. He followed suit, settling himself beside Naruto, waiting for whatever it was that the blonde wanted to say.

"Are you mad… about Sakura?" He asked straightforward. This surprised Sasuke a little bit, although he had some sort of sneaking suspicion that the blonde was curious. Curiosity always got the better of him.

Sasuke was silent for a moment before answering. Yes? No? Why did Naruto care? Wasn't this her choice to begin with?

"No." He finally answered.

"What happened between you two? You might think I'm an idiot or whatever, but the tension between you two is so obvious it's almost palpable. Sakura hasn't said much about what has happened, and I mean obviously she was your prisoner there for a while. I don't think you necessarily mistreated her, but..."

Sasuke frowned. Had things really been that obvious? Naruto was perhaps being to naive though. He had threatened her life on more than one occasion - he had taken away everything that she knew all because the man who raised him, who made him believe that he was doing it for the good of Uchiha had expected it out of him. He had for the most part, been everything but civil towards her.

"She was my prisoner. I took the lives of people she cared about, and ripped her from her home." Sasuke answered. "Why she bothers to trifle with any of _this_ , I don't understand." Sasuke wouldn't dare admit that he had no idea why she bothered to trifle with him, specifically.

Naruto eyebrows furrowed. There was no way he could fathom the complexities of their current relationship… if they really had one at all. "Well, to be honest, I don't understand it either… but oddly enough, I can't help but get the feeling that things are just… the way they are supposed to be. Honestly, I don't really care about it all… I just want everyone to get along. This war has caused suffering for so many - including the Uchiha too."

"Perhaps." Sasuke conceded, though deep down, he knew that Naruto was right. His parents… were even a casualty due to the greed and envy this war had brought. His brother was.

"You helped us escape. I know that guilty look on your face, and I can't even begin to touch the things you have to atone for, but I do know this Sasuke, you are my friend."

Sasuke snorted, giving a small smirk. This familiarity of Naruto's friendship was the first heartfelt thing that he had received, but at the same time the blonde was being way to mushy for his taste. Wasn't fists the way they had always settled things, not words?

"You're an idiot, for wanting to be my friend." Though it was an insult, there was no rudeness behind Sasuke's words.

"I don't go back on my word." Naruto retorted.

"Obviously. I can't shake your dumb ass."

The two settled between a more lighthearted silence for a moment.

"Well, whatever the tension is between you and Sakura, you guys should sort it out. At a minimum, you should man up and at least apologize." Naruto finally said.

"Do I look like I need advice from you?" Sasuke sneered, causing the blonde to chuckle at his glare. After Naruto finished his fit of amusement, his demeanor turned more serious.

"Things are probably not going to get any easier from here. This was about as good of an idea as I had." He admitted.

"You trust that old man?" Sasuke asked, his curiosity about their relationship getting the better of him.

"Considering that he was my master for years, yeah. He's no stranger to the war going on with the Senju and Uchiha. He knows who you are." Naruto answered. "For now, we can at least take a little breather, and sit and think. Everyone's a little rattled - even me."

It was then that Hinata came flashing into Sasuke's mind. He had noticed that Naruto and the raven haired girl obviously had known each other, and he wondered if what happened bothered the blonde. If it hadn't been for her, he wasn't sure that even with Naruto and himself fighting to escape, that they would have. However, Sasuke didn't have any interest in going back to the topic of women.

"Madara will hunt us down." Sasuke said flatly.

"Yeah, I know. I don't doubt it. After all, killing you would cover up everything about the Uchiha."

Sasuke knew that Naruto was referring to the truths that Itachi had revealed that day.

"We have to be ready."

For once, Sasuke felt a small amount of relief from everything. He hadn't even realized just how tense he had been - and still is. He had been acting instead of thinking, something that was very unlike himself. If Sakura was going to fight this war with him, how would he even begin to create a relationship between the two of them? Even as comrades?

* * *

The end of another chapter! Finally they are out trouble and things can settle a little bit. We will see some more developments between Sasuke and Sakura in the next few chapters, and I'm getting pretty excited about getting to write those parts.

Also, I hit 200+ reviews! I can't believe it! I am so pleasantly surprised! I can't thank you guys enough and I really appreciate those of you who have taken the time to leave me your thoughts - obviously fanfic writers don't profit off our work, but a review is a nice reward!


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